Pennsylvania data center and energy bills

What it would do: Eliminates the gross receipts tax on electric energy sales for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2026, requires entities to pass through tax elimination or reduction to consumers as reduced state tax surcharges, and increases manufacturing and investment tax credit limits from $30,000,000 to $60,000,000.

What it would do: Requires large load users (data centers with 25+ megawatts peak demand) to submit emergency operations floor plans and generalized infrastructure inventories to local fire officials before receiving certificates of occupancy, with annual updates and penalties up to $10,000 for non-compliance.

What it would do: Prohibits public agencies from entering into agreements with data center owners or operators that restrict disclosure of information about the data center's construction, development, location, or the agreement itself. Voids any such agreements.

What it would do: Adds definitions for 'commercial data center' (a facility with peak electric demand of at least 25 megawatts used for processing or storing data) and 'large load facility' (at least 10 megawatts peak demand) to Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code. Requires applicants for such facilities to provide documentation of filed electric service applications and paid fees before zoning approval.

What it would do: Allows municipalities to impose an optional temporary moratorium of up to 18 months on filing or consideration of new applications for high impact data centers (those with critical IT load of 25 megawatts or higher) while conducting planning and infrastructure studies.

What it would do: Amends Pennsylvania's computer data center equipment incentive program to require owners or operators to complete community protection plans identifying facility details, energy and water consumption, and public engagement efforts, and to certify no confidentiality agreements restrict public disclosure, with exemptions for facilities under 10 megawatts peak demand.

What it would do: Allows a municipality's governing body to adopt a resolution imposing a pause of up to 180 days on data center development applications, during which the municipality may adopt, amend or repeal zoning ordinance provisions relating to data centers.

What it would do: Repeals the Computer Data Center Equipment Incentive Program under Article XXIX-D of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. Adds a provision prohibiting computer data centers not certified under Article XXIX-D before February 3, 2026 from receiving tax benefits under Articles XVIII-C, XIX-B, or the Keystone Opportunity Zone Act.

What it would do: Prohibits Department of Revenue from certifying new computer data centers under existing programs after the bill's effective date. Creates a new Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) certification program for data centers meeting strict energy, community benefit, environmental, and water quality standards, with sales and use tax exemptions for qualifying equipment through December 31, 2032.

What it would do: Amends Pennsylvania's water resources law to give the Department of Environmental Protection authority to regulate water use by covered data centers, including requiring notification, reporting, monitoring, and permit conditions to protect water quality and quantity for other users.

What it would do: Requires data centers with peak electric demand of 10 megawatts or greater operating in Pennsylvania to submit annual reports to the Department of Environmental Protection detailing energy consumption, water consumption, efficiency measures, and waste heat recovery, with civil penalties of $10,000 per day for non-compliance.

What it would do: Requires the Center for Local Government Services to develop and publish a model zoning ordinance within six months to assist municipalities in regulating data centers and mitigating community impacts, and to update it annually with public comment periods.

What it would do: Requires the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to regulate commercial data centers with peak demand of 25 megawatts or greater, prohibits utilities from recovering data center costs from ratepayers, mandates 25% renewable energy in data center contracts, and establishes a fund requiring annual payments from data centers to enhance low-income home energy assistance.

What it would do: Requires owners of qualifying crypto-asset mining operations with power loads of five megawatts or greater to report to the Department of Environmental Protection on their locations, devices, electricity consumption, and energy sources. Directs the department to conduct an impact study on these operations and publish submitted information online.

What it would do: Adds definitions for 'data center' and 'high impact data center' (25+ megawatts peak demand) to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Requires municipal voter approval via referendum before a governing body or planning agency can finally approve a high impact data center application.

What it would do: Directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study data center technology advancements and whether data centers will be needed at current proposed development levels, including demand forecasting, technology trends, economic development, energy and environmental impacts, and state comparisons, with a report due within one year.

What it would do: Prohibits data centers controlled by foreign entities from being operated or developed in Pennsylvania, with existing data centers required to cease operations immediately. The Attorney General may seek injunctive relief to enforce this prohibition.

What it would do: Requires data center developers to submit a meeting request to the host municipality at least 30 days before filing a development application, with attendance from zoning, planning, elected officials, solicitors and engineers, and to provide will-serve letters from water, sewer, electric and fiber providers showing available resources and local impacts.

What it would do: Requires entities proposing data centers to submit a comprehensive water analysis and study to the host municipality at least 30 days before filing a development application, prepared by an independent third party, covering anticipated water usage, water quality, water supply sustainability within a 20-mile radius, and total water footprint including direct and indirect water use.

What it would do: Prohibits data centers from being established or operated in residential zoning areas and requires hyperscale and major data centers (facilities with at least 5,000 servers and 100,000 square feet combined) to be located only in industrial and mining zones.

What it would do: Adds definitions for 'data center' and 'hyperscale data center' (peak load of 25+ megawatts for single facility or 50+ megawatts aggregate for multiple facilities) to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Requires zoning hearing boards to hold at least two advertised public comment meetings before approving hyperscale data center applications.

What it would do: Requires the Public Utilities Commission to promulgate regulations establishing a separate large load tariff rate class for hyperscale data centers (those with peak load of 25 megawatts or above individually or 50 megawatts in aggregate) that accounts for full costs of service without shifting costs to other ratepayers.

What it would do: Requires data centers consuming over 100,000 gallons of water annually to use closed-loop cooling, reclaimed water, recycled water, or department-approved conservation technology. If infeasible, data centers must submit alternative compliance plans and pay mitigation charges to water service providers covering all costs attributable to serving the data center.

What it would do: Requires commercial data centers with peak demand of 25 megawatts or greater to restore or replace water supplies they pollute or diminish, and imposes duties on the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate claims, establish a reporting hotline, and publish contamination cases.

What it would do: Imposes a 36-month statewide moratorium on development and permitting of hyperscale data centers and related infrastructure. Prohibits Commonwealth agencies, governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and public benefit corporations from accepting applications or issuing permits for data center siting, construction, or operation during the moratorium.