PRESS INFORMATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 30, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Data Center Moratorium Bills’ Differences Don’t End at Length of Pause
Statement by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: At the center of the controversial data center boom in Pennsylvania has been the role of local governments. A tsunami of public outcry since the boom began last year has forced the Shapiro administration and the state legislature to shift from making attempts to either remove or restrict local control to introducing what would appear to be bills that support it. Appearances can be deceiving.
Early on, bills like HB 502 sought to enact portions of Shapiro’s Lightning Plan. HB 502 specifically stripped local governments of their siting authority over large scale energy projects, like those that would serve data centers, and hand it to an industry-friendly board that would include private sector members with no accountability to the public.
Another bill, HB 2151, would have greenlighted the industry-friendly state government’s creation of a model ordinance local governments could use in revising or adopting local ordinances pertaining to data centers. The public was wary of the measure, questioning whose interests would be served if the ones writing the model ordinance were the same ones negotiating data center deals behind closed doors.
These days, if Shapiro uses the words data centers, it’s to say that he has heard the public’s concerns. Legislators have heard them too and have floated various plans for a pause on data center development. Senator Katie Muth has introduced a bill calling for a 3-year moratorium. Senator Jarrett Coleman’s bill calls for an 18-month moratorium. Rep. Paul Friel proposes a 180-day moratorium in his bill.
Three years, 18 months, 180 days. The numbers have gotten in the way of the important differences between Muth’s bill and those introduced by Coleman and Friel. Muth’s bill would pause data center development in Pennsylvania. Coleman and Friel’s would give municipal governments the option to put in place an 18-month or 180-day moratorium, respectively. That may be the substantive difference, but the even bigger one is the difference in the bills’ intentions.
Muth’s bill challenges the state to take responsibility for the decisions it made to jump feet first into the data center boom. Far too little is known about data centers’ impacts on the environment, health, safety, and quality of life, but what is known isn’t good. AI, the technology behind much of the development, is downright scary. What are we risking by enabling its development? And what exactly is the demand for data centers? Will data centers shrink dramatically in size, just like computers, cell phones, and so many other technologies have? Will there be a need for massive, sprawling data centers in three years? How many of those investments will dry up? Who will pay for the damage done?
The moratorium bills from Coleman and Friel shift responsibility to local governments that are not equipped to do the kind of study required.
Muth’s bill asks, “Should Pennsylvania be in the business of data center development and, if so, how do we get it right?” Coleman and Friel’s say, “You don’t have the option to say no to data centers because of a law the state passed long ago and we don’t want to take responsibility for our actions, so we’re going to make it your problem to figure out everything, but, hey, we’re going to give you the option to take a little time to do it.”
Senator Patty Kim raised concerns at today’s Local Government Committee’s meeting when Senator Rosemary Brown offered a gut and replace amendment to Coleman’s bill which would have substituted Muth’s bill for his. Brown is a cosponsor of Muth’s bill. Kim was concerned that the state would be exposed to a lawsuit like the one she heard about in Texas if the state put a pause on development. With all due respect, the state should have thought of that before grabbing for a brass ring that, it turns out, was always a choke collar. But when the stakes are as high as they are for Pennsylvanians, is our legislature really willing to shy away from taking bold action to save us because they might get sued?
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 25, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Organizations and Individuals Submit Position Statement Opposing HB 2650 to PA Legislature
UPDATE: The current totals on the statement resubmitted to the Senate this morning are 43 organizations, up from 29, and 504 individuals, up from 150. We will continue to send revised figures as warranted.
Pennsylvania: The Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA submitted a position statement of opposition to Governor Josh Shapiro’s GRID Initiative. Since we first circulated the letter yesterday, it has been signed by 42 organizations and 500 individuals.
The statement opens, “The undersigned organizations and individuals are writing to express our opposition to Governor Shapiro's GRID initiative. Although he has presented it as a response to concerns he has heard from the public, it was not developed with community input, contrary to what he stated at the Budget Address, nor is it a sincere attempt to address our concerns. Rather, it is an attempt to quell the public outcry over data center development implying that it cannot be stopped, but can be made less terrible. The public sees through his attempt to manufacture consent.”
The Governor’s voluntary initiative was the subject of much criticism at the PA Is NOT for Sale rally in Harrisburg yesterday that drew hundreds of Pennsylvanians fighting data center development across the state.
The statement continues, “The Shapiro administration and the legislators who have signed on to attempt to enact his GRID initiative are doing a disservice to the people they were elected to represent. None of those elected officials can honestly say that they have the first idea of what the true environmental, health, and safety impacts of data centers would be. They cannot know because they have not taken even a moment or spent a dollar to study them.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 28, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Shapiro’s GRID Announcement Misses the Point
Statement by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: The Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA are issuing the following statement in response to Governor Josh Shapiro’s visit to Archbald to formally introduce his GRID standards for data centers.
“It is clear that the fallout for failing to participate in the May 13 Statewide Virtual Town Hall on Data Centers our coalitions hosted has forced Governor Shapiro to finally reach out to communities fighting data centers. Unfortunately, rather than hear and respond to their concerns, he arrived with the finalized GRID standards he previewed during his budget address earlier this year. His attempt to make data center development more palatable to affected communities completely misses the mark. Communities like Archbald, where he announced his GRID initiative yesterday, are organizing powerful campaigns to stop data centers, not negotiate half-baked standards.
In addition, his introduction of these standards comes after a Right-to-Know request by Concerned Citizens of Montour County produced an email that states outright that GRID is strictly performative. Rick Siger, Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development, wrote to Amazon the morning of the budget address to reassure them that the standards Shapiro would announce later that day would be voluntary and that he was ‘not proposing to ban or even discourage data centers or other large loads that don’t agree to implement them from siting here.’ He also told them that they would be engaged in finalizing the standards.
Pennsylvanians deserve attention, protection, and honesty from their governor. They are getting nothing but smoke and mirrors from Shapiro.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 14, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Cardboard Cut-Out Takes Place of Shapiro as Constituents Voice Concerns about Data Centers at Citizen-led Town Hall
More than 700 Registered for Town Hall Organized by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: Governor Josh Shapiro was a no-show at the Statewide Virtual Town Hall on Data Centers, leaving constituents to deliver their thoughtful, heartfelt statements to a cardboard cut-out.
The two-hour town hall, organized by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA, presented speakers from across the Commonwealth who expressed their opposition to the current boom in data center proposals, citing a wide range of concerns that included adverse impacts of data centers, the AI technology they support, the continued reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear needed to power them, and the massive amount of infrastructure that would accompany them.
“Governor Shapiro did not have two hours to spend with his constituents, despite our multiple efforts to schedule the event with his office at a time of his choosing, nor did he have a single staff member represent him. Even worse, the thousands who signed invitations, submitted formal meeting requests, called his office, texted his ‘no wrong door to government’ public text line, emailed him, and tagged him on social media apparently didn’t deserve as much as a response in his view,” said Karen Feridun, Co-Founder of the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA, who moderated the event. “His personal email to the CEO of Amazon Web Services that reads, ‘My door is always open should you have issues or ideas you wish to discuss. Please keep in touch,’ makes it clear that he has his priorities and we, the people, are not among them.”
The email surfaced in response to a Right-to-Know request submitted by Concerned Citizens of Montour County, represented at the town hall by Colby Wesner and Sam Burleigh. Burleigh had a list of questions for Shapiro that went unanswered including, “Why say publicly that data centers must supply their own energy, while written communications from your administration suggest major developers (like AWS) may not be required to do so?” Both Wesner and Burleigh criticized attempts by Shapiro and the legislature to limit municipal control over data centers and the energy projects that would power them.
“Shapiro is all ears when it comes to Big Tech’s wishes to exploit Pennsylvanians and our resources, but when it comes to the communities’ concerns, all we get is a cold shoulder. Our governor has repeatedly shown that he cares more about making data center developers rich than making sure Pennsylvanians have access to clean water and clean air. Pennsylvanians from across the state and across the political spectrum are united against data centers — it’s time for a moratorium now,” said Food & Water Watch Senior Pennsylvania Organizer Ginny Marcille-Kerslake.
Senator Katie Muth (D-Chester/Montgomery/Berks), who is introducing a bill to establish a three-year moratorium on data center development, and Representative Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne), who introduced the Commercial Data Center Transparency Act earlier in the day, opened the town hall.
Anneke van Rossum, Advocacy and Advancement Coordinator at the Delaware Riverkeeper Network said, "People across Pennsylvania are no longer willing to be placated with words, they want to see action. They want to see their comments and concerns being used to then put pen to paper when it comes to making decisions on a Data Center in their community. People are coming out in droves to share stories of their fear for health impacts, terror at their homes becoming a place they will never receive peace and quiet, concern the wildlife they once listened to will be replaced by nothing but endless light and noise piercing the night. This town hall was essential, not only to allow legislators and the larger public to hear these stories, but also for folks to know they are not alone in this effort. Even though towns are having to battle their own individual data centers, we can all stand together in a common drive to protect the environment we share."
Some speakers referred to Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, reminding our elected officials that they swore an oath to uphold this amendment and that their decisions on data centers risk violating it.
Maya K. van Rossum, Founder of Green Amendments For The Generations, said, "This town hall was an important opportunity for members of the public to tell their stories and share their concerns about data centers with a massive audience. At public meeting after public meeting, I have heard Pennsylvanians from all walks of life reminding local and state officials of their right to clean air and pure water, and that these officials have a duty to uphold and protect that right per Article 1, Section 27. This duty to conserve and maintain our natural resources is owed not just to the current generation but to future generations as well. Data centers are bringing dangerous health, environmental, and economic impacts to these communities, and not only are members of these communities - turning to facts and good science to defend against harmful projects, but they are turning to the power of the Pennsylvania Constitution by invoking the Green Amendment."
"Small rural townships should not be bullied by elected officials and wealthy technocrats who profit from our suffering. Municipalities' zoning and ordinances are not prepared for the sudden, heavy-handed push to install data centers in their communities. The rush to build out data centers for AI will significantly reduce Pennsylvania residents’ economic, ecosystem, and health security," said Move Past Plastic Founder Tamela Trussel, who was among the Town Hall’s speakers.
More than 700 registered to attend the town hall. All registrants received a link to the recording. Governor Shapiro and all of the public officials who were invited to attend will receive the link today.
Hilary Flint, Program Director, Center for Oil & Gas Organizing, summed up the event as a reflection of the growing movement to stop data centers. Flint said, “Tonight’s town hall made one thing incredibly clear: people across Pennsylvania, from very different backgrounds and political perspectives, are coming together in a way we probably haven’t seen before because they recognize what’s at stake. No matter where someone lives or how they vote, people want affordable lives, healthy communities, transparency, and a real say in decisions that impact their future. It’s clear that people want to keep Pennsylvania human by protecting the places we call home from being reshaped by unchecked corporate expansion and decisions made without community consent. This fight is bigger than politics. It’s about making sure Pennsylvania is built for people, not just profit.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 9, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Thanks, Legislators, but Municipalities Already Have the Right You Want to Bestow
Statement by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: Rep. Paul Friel (D-26), along with his colleagues, Rep. Kyle Donahue (D-113), Rep. Kyle Mullins (D-112), and Rep. Chris Pielli (D-156), announced this week an upcoming bill to establish an optional 180-day municipal moratorium on data centers. Given that municipalities already have that option under the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), the legislators’ time would be better spent backing a stronger protective measure to put a three-year moratorium on data center development, as an upcoming Senate bill by Senator Katie Muth (D-44) will do.
An avalanche of data center proposals has, as Friel’s memo correctly states, put municipalities in the position of “playing catch-up.” They were put in that position because they were blindsided by a state government that never mentioned hyperscale data centers until, seemingly overnight, the same government declared an urgent need for the industrial behemoths Pennsylvania has never before seen. If our legislature has learned only one thing from the fracking boom two decades ago and the many harms it has done to communities in the shale fields, it should be that bringing new industries and technologies to the Commonwealth means bringing new threats to our environment, health, and safety. Protecting Pennsylvania’s communities takes time. Getting stuff done fast is no match for getting it done right.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 12, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Trump’s Endangerment Finding Repeal Puts Onus on Our State Government to Protect Us
Joint Statement by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: Today, the Trump administration took the unconscionable step of repealing the Endangerment Finding that affirmed that greenhouse gas emissions threaten “the public health and welfare of current and future generations.” Since it was first introduced in 2009 it has been applied to vehicles, power plants, oil & gas operations, and other industries. No longer can we count on these protections. More than ever, it is up to the states to act on climate change and protect our environment.
“Governor Shapiro and our state legislators continue to express their embrace of fossil fuels either openly or couched in coded terms like “all-of-the-above.” This must end. So must the development of the next generation of fossil fuels – data centers powered by natural gas. The outsized influence of the natural gas industry and its allies on our state government has put our communities in peril. We lag behind nearly every other state in the transition to clean, renewable energy,” said Karen Feridun, Co-Founder, Better Path Coalition. “To date, our state government has elected, for the most part, to ignore our constitutional right to a healthy environment expressed in Article 1 of our state Constitution. This also must end.”
“We call on the Shapiro administration to protect public health and the environment by assuming the responsibilities that the federal government has so recklessly abandoned, starting with a moratorium on data center buildout,” said Karen Elias, Co-Founder, No False Climate Solutions PA.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 3, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
35 Organizations Submit Letter Opposing HB 2151 in Advance of Committee Vote
Bill Amends the MPC to Put DCED in Charge of Creating a Model Ordinance
Pennsylvania: Thirty-five organizations and businesses submitted a letter to state legislators today expressing their opposition to HB 2151, a bill introduced by Rep. Kyle Donahue (D-115) to create community standards for data center developments. The House Energy Committee is set to vote on the bill tomorrow morning.
The Co-sponsorship memorandum describes the bill as one that amends “the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), in zoning, providing for data center ordinance assistance; and imposing duties on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Center for Local Government Services.”
The letter states, “The DCED is not an impartial party in decisions regarding data center development. It is the state agency that is actively engaged in not just bringing data centers to Pennsylvania, but in fast-tracking their approval. Giving any model ordinance the agency would develop the MPC’s imprimatur would be a misuse of the MPC.”
“Municipal control has been under attack since the data center boom began in Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro mentioned his Lightning Plan during his budget address today. The RESET portion of his plan would strip municipal governments of their authority over the siting of the large-scale energy projects that would power data centers. At first blush, HB 2151 appeared to be different, to support local control, but, in the end, it is simply an attempt to get municipalities to enact ordinances written by the state agency working on behalf of data center developers,” said Karen Feridun, Co-Founder, Better Path Coalition
“Attempts by data center developers to get their industry-favorable ordinances passed have repeatedly failed in communities across Pennsylvania because of unprecedented public. So now the industry is making this attempt at the state level” said Food & Water Watch Eastern Pennsylvania Senior Organizer Ginny Marcille-Kerslake. “Allowing DCED, the same agency that actively works to recruit and support this industry to craft statewide guidance on data center ordinances raises questions about transparency, conflicts of interest, and whose interests are truly being served.”
“Let us not repeat the mistakes of the fracking boom in PA that has led to environmental degradation, human health damage, and few local economic benefits. Instead of creating new sacrifice zones without seeking and respecting valid concerns of Pennsylvania residents, we should be creating safe and healthy communities that invite public input and share in the potential economic opportunities of AI,” said Ned Ketyer, President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 3, 2026
Contact: Karen Feridun, Better Path Coalition, 610-678-7726, betterpathpa@gmail.com
Shapiro Announces Toothless Plan to Address Public’s Data Center Concerns
Joint Statement by the Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA
Pennsylvania: The throngs of Pennsylvanians who are filling municipal meetings to standing-room-only capacity across the state are not doing it so the data center operators proposing projects in their communities provide their own energy or offer them community benefits agreements. The tone deaf Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) initiative Governor Shapiro announced today during his budget address also makes a vague requirement for the hiring of local workers and, most preposterously of all, calls on developers to commit to the highest standards of environmental protection. Pennsylvanians do not want to see their communities suffer the environmental, health, economic, and quality of life impacts that communities in so many other states are experiencing. They were never asked their opinions when data center deals were being hammered out behind closed doors. Now that their municipalities are being barraged by data center proposals, they are saying no.
Although Shapiro refers to himself as an all-of-the-above energy governor, the data center boom he is promoting relies heavily on one energy source - natural gas. Whether data center operators power their centers with electricity from gas-fired power plants feeding the grid or plants they build themselves, the data center boom is simply the next generation of fracking at a time when the profound on-the-ground harms of drilling and fracking are irrefutable and the climate crisis is intensifying to the point of no return.
But data centers’ environmental impacts are not limited to those posed by the natural gas that powers them. Data centers are responsible for noise pollution, water shortages, water contamination from the waste stream, and air pollution, among others, that have never been successfully managed in states already inundated with them. Companies may market their data centers as harmless, but we know there are environmental, climate, and human health impacts from them.
Pennsylvanians know that data centers do not create many jobs for local workers. They also know that the Artificial Intelligence driving the demand for data centers will take away far more jobs than data centers claim to create. Shapiro boasted about the deal he struck with Amazon for at least two data centers in Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Amazon is the fifth largest employer in the state… for now. In the past four months, Amazon has announced 30,000 immediate job cuts and nearly 600,000 jobs it will replace with robots in the next few years.
Community Benefit Agreements are the insult added to the injury being visited upon Pennsylvanians who have never been given the right of refusal. Every data center will result in unavoidable and irreversible environmental changes through the use of non-renewable resources and the permanent loss of farmland, vegetation, habitat, and natural hydrology.
Although Shapiro did not review last year’s Lightning Plan in detail, he did refer to the siting reforms the public has strongly rejected. The RESET board would strip municipal governments of siting authority over the large-scale energy projects that would power data centers.
We encourage Governor Shapiro to get something done that isn’t shit.
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