HARRISBURG – Lackawanna County Sen. Rosemary Brown and Schuylkill County Sen. David Argall are circulating a co-sponsorship memo for a proposal that would require a pre-application meeting between developers and local officials before data center projects are formally submitted for municipal review. Data centers represent potential economic opportunity for PA; however, they are also incredibly resource-intensive facilities. The bill ensures municipalities have the information they need early in the process to assess whether local infrastructure can realistically support such projects and residents have information. Any entity seeking to develop a data center must request a pre-application meeting with the host municipality at least 30 days before submitting a formal development application. It must include zoning, planning, elected officials, and any third-party engineers and solicitors, if necessary, in the meeting and provide “will-serve” letters from water, sewer, electric, and fiber infrastructure providers confirming that existing systems can support the project at full build-out, not just in phases. It would also identify any anticipated impacts on local residents related to infrastructure capacity. The senators emphasized that the bill is not meant to discourage development, but to encourage informed, cooperative planning that benefits business while protecting communities.
SEN. DAVID ARGALL
SEN. ROSEMARY BROWN