Gov. Josh Shapiro takes a hard line against ‘predatory’ data center developers in Pennsylvania

Artificial intelligenceGov. Josh Shapiro takes a hard line against ‘predatory’ data center developers in PennsylvaniaShapiro, a potential Democratic 2028 contender, earlier welcomed data center developments. His new executive order takes a starkly different tone toward the industry.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00A new executive order from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro imposes a number of new requirements on data center projects, including that they first be approved by local officials.Rachel Wisniewski / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd to GoogleAug. 18, 2026, 5:05 PM EDTBy Allan SmithPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced significant restrictions on data center projects Tuesday, signing an executive order to stop “predatory” backers and “bad proposals from infecting our commonwealth.”The order, along with the warnings in his remarks for potential data center developers, marked a notable shift for the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, who had sought to encourage the industry’s build-out in his state.“[I]’ve heard loud and clear from the good people of Pennsylvania as I’ve traveled our commonwealth, and I’m here to say today that we will not be bullied by these developers,” Shapiro said. “We will not be bulldozed by the lawyers working for these big tech companies. That will not happen in the commonwealth. We have a long history in Pennsylvania of industry running roughshod over our communities to make a buck — that stops with me.”The new order mandates that data center projects must first be approved by local officials. Developers must also sign a legally binding order in which they commit to guidelines Shapiro laid out in February — which were first reported by NBC News — including that they pay for their own power, hire locally, be transparent with local governments and adhere to high water-conservation standards.Shapiro also said he is removing all data center projects from his state’s fast-track permitting program,...