Pennsylvania is turning data center guesswork into real, mandatory impact reports

Gov. Josh Shapiro's executive order requires operating tech facilities to disclose annual energy and water usage to environmental regulators.

By: Alice Crow and Sarah Huffman

Outlets: Technical.ly

Published: August 20, 2026

Words: 1,245

Last Updated: 1 month, 4 weeks ago

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This is the second story in a two-part series examining what shifting data center regulations in Pennsylvania mean for community transparency. Read the first story, which explores impacts on developers, here.

For years, Pennsylvania communities have had to evaluate proposed data centers with limited information about how much electricity, water and other resources the facilities could consume.

Now, the state is set to start collecting those numbers from operating data centers next …

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