Data center regulation
In the 2026 governor's race, campaigns have highlighted differing approaches to regulation of data centers, with Democrats portraying the Republican candidate as favoring little regulation while both sides' positions are described as nuanced. The issue ties into economic development, energy use, and technology infrastructure in Pennsylvania.
How should Pennsylvania regulate data centers?
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Sources
State College, PA election guide — https://www.statecollege.com/articles/elections/pa-election-2026-your-complete-guide-to-the-candidates-for-governor
The Democratic governor’s campaign has also tried to portray Garrity as a proponent of little to no regulation for data centers (though both Shapiro and Garrity’s positions on the issue are far more nuanced).
Spotlight PA / PHL17 — https://phl17.com/spotlight-pa/pa-election-2026-your-complete-guide-to-the-candidates-for-governor
The Democratic governor’s campaign has also tried to portray Garrity as a proponent of little to no regulation for data centers (though both Shapiro and Garrity’s positions on the issue are far more nuanced).
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Impose strong environmental, energy-use, and community-impact rules on all new data centers
- Allow data centers with meaningful regulation on power use, water, and local impacts
- Use a case-by-case approach balancing economic benefits against local concerns
- Keep regulation light to attract data-center investment and tech jobs
- Minimize state regulation so the market and local governments decide data-center growth