The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved two key pieces of legislation on Monday designed to provide greater oversight and local control over the state's booming data center industry. House Bill 2150 and House Bill 2151 passed with bipartisan support as lawmakers look to address mounting public concern regarding the heavy environmental footprint of these facilities. Supporters of the bills argue that while the industry brings economic investment, the sheer scale of energy and water consumption required for large-scale operations necessitates a more rigorous regulatory framework.
House Bill 2150, authored by Representative Kyle Mullins, focuses on accountability by requiring data center operators to submit annual reports detailing their total energy and water usage. This data would be utilized by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Utility Commission to track the industry's cumulative impact on the state’s resources. Complementing this effort, House Bill 2151, introduced by Representative Kyle Donahue, directs the state to develop a model ordinance that local municipalities can use as a guide. This optional framework is intended to help small towns regulate noise, facility size, and resource consumption, ensuring that industrial growth does not come at the expense of residential quality of life. Both measures now move to the state Senate for further consideration.
