HARRISBURG — Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40), during a meeting of the Senate Local Government Committee, offered an amendment to establish a three-year statewide moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centers. The committee agenda included two data center-related bills, Senate Bill 1345 and House Bill 2496. Brown’s amendment sought to replace Senate Bill 1345 with the language of Senate Bill 1359, which would establish a three-year statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center development.
“Pennsylvania has become an epicenter for hyperscale data center development, but our laws have not kept pace with the rapid growth of this industry or the concerns being raised by residents,” Brown said. “These projects raise significant questions about energy demand, water usage, infrastructure, environmental impacts and the future of our communities. We need to pause, get this right and put enforceable protections in place before additional projects move forward.”
More than 50 major data center projects have been proposed or are under development across Pennsylvania, including more than a dozen within the 40th Senatorial District. In Archbald Borough alone, developers have proposed six data center campuses totaling 51 buildings — the highest concentration of proposed hyperscale data center development anywhere in the commonwealth.
Brown’s amendment to Senate Bill 1345 failed by a vote of 2-9. The committee then reported Senate Bill 1345, without amendment, by a vote of 10-1. The bill authorizes municipalities to voluntarily prohibit the filing and consideration of new applications and permits for hyperscale data centers for up to 18 months while they evaluate and update local ordinances. Brown voted in support of advancing the bill from committee but emphasized that the authority is optional and encouraged municipalities to utilize the tool in response to the concerns raised by their residents.
The committee also approved House Bill 2496, which only modestly expands the municipal curative amendment process. Under current law, a municipality may initiate a curative amendment only after declaring its zoning ordinance substantively invalid or in response to a legal challenge. This bill would allow municipalities to implement a temporary pause while they evaluate and update local ordinances without those two limitations. Brown supported the bill because it provides municipalities with greater flexibility but noted that it falls well short of the comprehensive protections needed to address the unprecedented scale and pace of hyperscale data center development.
“I supported both bills because they provide municipalities with additional tools, and I hope local governments use them to respond to the concerns their residents have consistently raised,” Brown said. “But let me be clear — my constituents are not asking for optional measures or modest updates. They’re asking for bold, enforceable protections that put communities first. While these bills are a step in the right direction, they do not go far enough to address the unprecedented scale and pace of hyperscale data center development. I will continue fighting for a statewide moratorium so Pennsylvania has the time to develop the comprehensive safeguards our residents deserve before additional projects move forward.”
Brown has been a leading advocate for stronger oversight of data center development, previously introducing her Residents First legislative package to strengthen local review, require independent impact studies and improve transparency throughout the development process.