Josh Shapiro Orders New Limits On Data Centers
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Tuesday removing data centers from fast-track permitting and giving local communities effective veto power over state approvals.
- Nearly 4,600 data centers already operate in the U.S.; companies spent almost $400 billion on them in 2025.
- 7 in 10 Americans oppose new AI-related data center projects in their area, per a Gallup poll.
- At least 14 other states are considering restrictions, including Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.
- Pro-AI super PAC network Leading the Future raised nearly $76 million and spent $45 million since August 2025.
Why it matters: State-level policy changes are reshaping the economics of AI infrastructure. Local communities stand to gain or lose tax revenue, jobs, and control over land and water use depending on what rules their state sets.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott paused new data center grid connections on Aug. 3 pending a state energy and water audit.
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a one-year ban on large data centers to allow time for environmental and grid protections.
How 40 sources split on this story
Where they split: The core dispute is whether states should set uniform restrictions or leave decisions to local communities and negotiated agreements.
Center coverage, 21 sources: The center frames the issue as a fast-moving political realignment driven by electoral pressure, with governors in both parties reversing earlier pro-data-center stances as public opposition becomes a viable campaign weapon.
Newsweek1w+Pennsylvania moves to rein in AI data centers after community backlash
Bloomberg1w+Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro Puts ‘Guardrails’ on Data CentersPenPennLive1w+Some embrace Shapiro’s new data center rules; others hate ‘emTNDThe National Desk1w+PA governor signs executive order on AI data centers: 'nation’s strictest guardrails'
USA Today1w+AI data center opponents get water use argument all wrong | OpinionWDWFAA Dallas1w+$500M data center planned for Prosper as Texas tightens industry regulationsWSWSAV Savannah1w+Wayne County Commissioners address data center rumorsabcabc27 (WHTM)1w+Shapiro signs new executive order targeting data centers, 'The strictest in the nation'
Associated Press1w+Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers
Chicago Tribune1w+Collin Corbett: A commonsense path forward for data centers in Illinois
CNET1w+Planned US Data Centers Set to Produce 24M Cars' Worth Of Carbon Dioxide - CNETLeft coverage, 9 sources: The left frames data center restrictions as a long-overdue correction, with governors finally listening to communities harmed by corporate-friendly policies that prioritized tax breaks over residents' energy bills, water supplies, and quality of life.
The Independent1w+Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers
Business Insider1w+Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro cracks down on data centersPCPennsylvania Capital-Star1w+Gov. Shapiro signs data center executive order. Critics say it falls short.
CNN1w+Gov. Josh Shapiro announces new limits on data centers in PennsylvaniaHCHouston Chronicle1w+The Texas data-center boom didn’t happen overnight. This is how we got here.
NBC News1w+Gov. Josh Shapiro issues a new executive order on data centers in Pennsylvania
Political Wire1w+Josh Shapiro Orders New Limits On Data CentersTAJThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution1w+Georgia Power deal to serve $20B OpenAI data center under regulators' microscopeTPIThe Philadelphia Inquirer1w+Gov. Josh Shapiro signs executive order restricting data center development in PennsylvaniaRight coverage, 10 sources: The right frames blanket state restrictions as economically shortsighted, arguing that local communities — not state capitals — should negotiate their own deals and that blocking data centers risks repeating historical mistakes of rejecting transformative infrastructure.
Fox News1w+From New York to Texas, states should respect local control on data centers
The Washington Times1w+Data centers turn toxic for voters, become political cudgel in 2026 races
Washington Examiner1w+Josh Shapiro signs executive order restricting data center development in PennsylvaniaTCSThe Center Square1w+Shapiro reverses course on data center industry he once embraced
Just the News1w+Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro reverses course on support for data center industry he once embraced
LifeSiteNews1w+James Fishback promises to stop AI data centers as Florida governor - LifeSite
Reason1w+West Virginia wants to use data centers to eliminate its income tax
The Daily Signal1w+Georgia Data Centers Demand More Power Than Available
The Epoch Times1w+Petition Drive Seeks to Corral Runaway Data Center Development in Cheyenne
Townhall1w+President Trump Weighs in on Texas' Data Center MoratoriumWhat’s next: Abbott has promised to push data center legislation in the next Texas legislative session.
- Ohio's governor and Senate candidates are each rolling out competing data center policies before November.
- Amazon's planned $20 billion Pennsylvania investment is in an uncertain position under Shapiro's new order.
- Will statewide restrictions push data center investment to less regulated states, or will industry comply with tougher standards to keep access to key markets?
- Do data centers actually raise retail electricity prices for consumers, or does the evidence — as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found — point elsewhere?
- How will trade unions, which have backed data center construction as a job creator, factor into Democratic candidates' positioning?