HARRISBURG – Sen. Katie Muth of Berks, Chester, & Montgomery Counties plans to introduce legislation to prevent PA residents and small businesses from subsidizing energy costs driven by large data center operations. Her proposal is modeled on Oregon’s recently enacted POWER Act, which established a dedicated rate class for high load data centers and required them, not residents or small businesses, to fully cover the cost of their infrastructure buildout and operations. Without reform, Muth says the cost of utility infrastructure for data center facilities will fall on everyday Pennsylvanians, even though they receive little to no benefit from these projects. Nationwide, data center energy use is projected to double by 2030, fueled by artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Her proposal will also empower the PA Public Utility Commission to set cost-allocation rules, monitor compliance, and protect non-industrial customers from rate increases. It will also require annual reporting of electricity and water usage to support transparency and grid planning. She is circulating a co-sponsorship memo.
SEN. KATIE MUTH