Thomas R. Henchey, Business Manager
Around the Local
The PA House Energy Committee advanced two bills along party lines requiring large data centers to report annual energy and water usage and establishing a model local zoning framework municipalities can adopt to guide where and how such facilities are built.
Gov. Shapiro is courting major tech investments including Amazon and Microsoft as dozens of data centers are planned statewide, but experts warn the grid was not designed for customers to come online at this scale, raising questions about power supply, water demand, and local land use planning.
PA utility regulators warn that ratepayers will face higher costs as neighboring states lean on Pennsylvania generation to back up their renewable energy targets, while surging demand from data centers and electric vehicles creates what critics describe as a perfect storm for the regional grid.
A Temple University professor urges Gov. Shapiro to direct his proposed $1 billion infrastructure fund toward water and wastewater systems, citing Pennsylvania drinking water infrastructure grades of D from the American Society of Civil Engineers and ongoing PFAS contamination in private wells statewide.
PECO net profits jumped nearly 50% between 2024 and 2025 to $814 million following back to back rate hikes, raising concerns among consumer advocates about the incentive structure for investor owned utilities and the ongoing impact on residential customers already facing higher energy bills.
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