Pennsylvania Data Center Intel

Recent Pennsylvania data center news

• Aug 26, 2026

  How Data Center Controversies Have Transformed the Midterm Elections

  The Associated Press has published an analysis of the growing political opposition to U.S. data centers and how it is reshaping policy debates. It is commentary and reporting on a broader trend, not a first-time corporate announcement.

  • The article says Oracle, Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft expect to spend more than $700 billion on U.S. data centers this year, while OpenAI and Oracle are building Project Jupiter, a $165 billion complex near the Mexican border in New Mexico.
  • It also notes opposition over water use, electricity costs, and climate impacts; examples include a challenge to well drilling permits in New Mexico, a one-year ban on large data centers in New York, and tougher regulatory steps in Texas under Greg Abbott.
• Aug 26, 2026

  In a Divided America, Left and Right Unite to Oppose Data Centers

  The Associated Press reports on growing bipartisan opposition to rapid data center expansion in rural Nebraska and New Mexico, alongside support from some labor leaders and officials.

  • In Cass County, Nebraska, officials approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development, which could affect Tenaska‘s plans to option 1,300-plus acres along Highway 75 and CyrusOne‘s control of nearly 400 acres outside Plattsmouth.
  • In New Mexico, Oracle‘s Project Jupiter faces legal and water-supply opposition; Oracle says it will invest $50 million in water and wastewater systems in Doña Ana County, while the project is described as a $165 billion data center complex and is expected to generate $4.7 billion in taxes.
• Aug 25, 2026

  DOE Keeps Eddystone Power Plant Online Amid Data Center Demand Surge

  The U.S. Department of Energy has ordered PJM Interconnection and Constellation Energy to keep 760 MW of generation at Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Generating Station available through Nov. 20.

  • The Aug. 21 order under Section 202(c) requires economic dispatch of Eddystone Units 3 and 4 when needed; the units shall not be considered a capacity resource.
  • DOE says its reliability analysis includes about 25 GW of projected PJM load growth, including 15 GW from data centers, versus roughly 17 GW of announced fossil-fuel retirements; the order is the sixth DOE directive extending Eddystone’s availability since the plant’s scheduled May 31, 2025 retirement.
  • The article is commentary and reporting on a government emergency reliability action, with expert reactions from Neil Osnato, Darryl Lawrence, and Elizabeth Whitney; it also discusses uncertainty in long-term data-center load forecasts and PJM’s large-load reforms.
• Aug 25, 2026

  Data center expansion faces growing pushback as EPA seeks faster permitting

  The Trump administration is proposing changes to EPA permitting rules that could reduce public comment opportunities for data centers and the power plants that support them.

  • The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate a federal requirement that states publicize certain air pollution permit applications and solicit public comments before approval for facilities classified as “minor sources”.
  • The proposal would cover data centers, landfills, laundromats, steel mills and other industrial facilities; opponents say it could make it harder for residents to learn about or raise concerns before construction begins.

  This is a reported proposal and not a first-party announcement from the EPA in the article.

  • The EPA says the change would speed up permitting and support economic development without weakening emission standards or environmental protections.
  • The story says opposition has come from nearly 200 advocacy groups and more than a dozen states; governors in Utah, Texas, and Pennsylvania have called for greater transparency and community involvement.
• Aug 24, 2026

  IBM unveils dual-architecture processor to run Arm-native apps on Z mainframes

  IBM has announced its first dual-architecture mainframe processor for IBM Z and LinuxONE, designed to let enterprises run Arm-native Linux environments alongside z/OS and existing Linux applications. The processor was introduced at Hot Chips 2026.

  • The 11-core, 5.7 GHz chip integrates the Arm Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) directly into mainframe cores, with each core able to execute Arm and IBM Z or Arm and LinuxONE instructions concurrently.
  • IBM said the chip has 3.5 GB of cache and includes an on-chip data processing unit for IO acceleration, plus dedicated accelerators for AI, data compression, cryptography, and data sorting; it follows the companies’ April collaboration announcement.
• Aug 21, 2026

  How tiny Archbald Borough is handling a data center rush

  WVIA reporter Kat Bolus says Archbald is facing a surge of data center proposals, with residents organizing opposition and local hearings continuing. - Six campuses are currently proposed in Archbald, plus a seventh proposal, and Wildcat Ridge alone would include around 15 buildings and 588 diesel-powered backup generators.

  • The opposition group Stop Archbald Data Centers has mobilized through meetings, fundraising, shirts, yard signs, and an attorney; a hired public health expert estimated $3 million to $124 million in annual health damages from the generators.
  • The story is an interview/commentary on local opposition and ongoing planning fights, not a formal project announcement; it also mentions a proposed power plant in Archbald, three power plants in Dickson City, and a possible $165k county health study under discussion.
• Aug 21, 2026

  Episode for August 21, 2026

  The Allegheny Front has published an episode roundup highlighting Pennsylvania environmental and infrastructure-related developments, including data center regulation and a coal mine review.

  • Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed an executive order to rein in data center development, requiring developers to follow new rules, including obtaining approval from local officials.
  • A separate item says the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will conduct an expansive technical review of the Rustic Ridge coal mine in the Laurel Highlands, examining impacts to drinking water, wildlife, and tourism. The roundup also references growing opposition to data center construction and an Archbald Borough local data center rush.
• Aug 21, 2026

  Trump Keeps Embracing Data Centers Even as They Become Toxic in Midterm Races

  President Donald Trump said states and cities should welcome AI plants and data centers during remarks at the White House with cryptocurrency leaders.

  • Trump said he would want “a big plant”, including “an AI plant or a data center”, if he were a mayor or governor.
  • The comments were made this week at the White House and were presented as a political statement, not a new policy or project announcement.
• Aug 20, 2026

  Governors' Races are Being Increasingly Buffeted by The Toxic Politics of Data Centers

  Associated Press reports that several U.S. governors and candidates are tightening or proposing restrictions on data centers as public backlash grows. The article is commentary/news analysis about election-year politics and regulatory responses, not a first-time company announcement.

  • Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration will no longer fast-track data center permits or tax exemptions unless developers meet electricity-payment, water-use, and local approval requirements; he called them the “strictest guardrails in the nation.”
  • The piece also cites broader state actions, including Arizona‘s three-year sales tax exemption moratorium, New York‘s one-year ban on large data centers, and Illinois‘s halt on new sales tax exemptions, alongside recent political ads and candidate positions in Texas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
• Aug 20, 2026

  Shapiro Sets Binding GRID Requirements in Pennsylvania, Targets Data Center Power Costs

  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced an executive order that makes the state’s GRID standards binding for large data center projects above 25 MW and ties permitting, tax benefits, and utility treatment to compliance.

  • The order immediately removes data center projects from the PA Permit Fast Track Program, restricts nondisclosure agreements, and directs state agencies to condition the Computer Data Center Equipment sales and use tax exemption on GRID compliance.
  • It also directs DEP to create a template Consent Order and Agreement, requires projects to secure local approvals before permits are issued, and asks the PUC to consider curtailment and cost-allocation rules for large data center loads.
  • Shapiro said the order is meant to “weed out speculative proposals” and that the standards are now legally-binding requirements; the article also notes two endorsed Pennsylvania data center projects in Salem Township and Falls Township representing $20 billion in investment.