{"id":4101,"date":"2026-08-18T21:07:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=4101"},"modified":"2026-08-18T21:07:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T21:07:45","slug":"gov-josh-shapiro-takes-a-hard-line-against-predatory-data-center-developers-in-pennsylvania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=4101","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Josh Shapiro takes a hard line against \u2018predatory\u2019 data center developers in Pennsylvania"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced significant restrictions on data center projects Tuesday, signing an executive order to stop \u201cpredatory\u201d backers and \u201cbad proposals from infecting our commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>

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The order, along with the warnings in his remarks for potential data center developers, marked a notable shift for the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, who had sought to encourage the industry\u2019s build-out in his state.<\/p>

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\u201c[I]\u2019ve heard loud and clear from the good people of Pennsylvania as I\u2019ve traveled our commonwealth, and I\u2019m here to say today that we will not be bullied by these developers,\u201d Shapiro said. \u201cWe will not be bulldozed by the lawyers working for these big tech companies. That will not happen in the commonwealth. We have a long history in Pennsylvania of industry running roughshod over our communities to make a buck \u2014 that stops with me.\u201d<\/p>

The new order mandates that data center projects must first be approved by local officials. Developers must also sign a legally binding order in which they commit to guidelines Shapiro laid out in February \u2014 which were first reported by NBC News \u2014 including that they pay for their own power, hire locally, be transparent with local governments and adhere to high water-conservation standards.<\/p>

Shapiro also said he is removing all data center projects from his state\u2019s fast-track permitting program, and that going forward, they would be ineligible for those measures. He also said nondisclosure agreements for data center projects will not be allowed in the state under his new order.<\/p>

Shapiro said in his remarks that since announcing two major data center projects in the state last year \u2014 Amazon-backed developments he touted \u2014 his state has \u201cseen an unacceptable number of speculative proposals for data centers swamp our Commonwealth \u2014 many of them led by developers who have no regard for local communities.\u201d<\/p>

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Shapiro, who is also facing re-election this fall, has evolved his views on data centers within the last year as the projects have faced increasing opposition in his state and nationally. Last week, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote on how Shapiro\u2019s early embrace of the projects was testing his high approval ratings with voters who are skeptical of the developments.<\/p>

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