Protesters demand legislative action on data centers
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With the November midterm elections approaching, environmental and community advocates gathered at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg Tuesday to protest the impacts of hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers and urge their fellow Pennsylvanians to become more civically engaged.
The demonstration was organized by several advocacy groups, including the Better Path Coalition, a grassroots organization that advocates for clean, renewable energy and government policies that prioritize public health.
Attendees were encouraged to sign constituent letters representing different subgroups. Organizers said the letters are intended to show lawmakers and other decision-makers opposition to the expansion of data centers while giving frustrated voters a way to engage with elected officials.
Organizers said they hope that engagement will motivate voters to participate in the November elections, even if they are angry with the elected leaders on either side of the aisle.
"What we're doing is launching the campaign today to encourage people to write constituent letters so that we can send them to not only the governor and our legislators, but anyone who is making decisions about data centers," said Karen Feridun, co-founder of the Better Path Coalition. "I know a lot of people are really angry because they're not seeing an alternative ... sometimes I worry that people might stay home on Election Day."
The letters represented a range of concerns, including artists worried about how generative AI could affect their work, parents and guardians concerned about the effects of data centers and AI on children, health care professionals focused on potential impacts to physical and mental health and faith leaders seeking to protect God's creation and marginalized communities, according to Better Path.
Though organizers said the event was not intended to rally behind a particular candidate, some attendees held signs that read "Senator Katie Muth: Write-In for Governor."
Muth, a Democrat from Montgomery County, introduced Senate Bill 1349 in June. The legislation would impose a three-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development.
Speakers criticized Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro for initially "rubbing elbows" with Amazon Web Services (AWS) executives before calling for greater scrutiny of the data centers supporting AI development. AWS operates hundreds of data center facilities worldwide, though the company does not publish an official count.
"Pennsylvania lawmakers, particularly Governor Shapiro, put communities across the state in a very difficult position when it came to hyperscale data center development," said Stuart Day, co-founder of Ohio Valley Allies. "The governor enthusiastically promoted the AI and data center boom, supported these companies, pushed fast track permitting and talked about Pennsylvania working at the speed of business, but while he was cheerleading for this industry, communities -- real communities like mine -- were burdened with figuring out the consequences in real time."
Shapiro's administration has sought to regulate that infrastructure through its GRID standards, which set requirements for data centers related to energy, environmental protections and community engagement. A subsequent executive order signed in August requires developers to meet those standards as part of the state permitting process.
Speakers at the rally raised concerns about the long-term environmental and health impacts of data centers and what their expansion could mean for future generations.
"Communities across the state see the horrific consequences of these data centers on our health, including air pollution, which damages the heart and the lungs, and light pollution, which does not sleep and leads to chronic stress," said Parker Studebaker, director of the Phoenixville Liberation Center.
The speakers urged lawmakers to prioritize the health and interests of Pennsylvania communities over the economic incentives driving data center development.
"Our parents are not just numbers in the study. Our children are not just a profit margin. Our friends and neighbors are not just a check to be cashed," said Anneke van Rossum, advocacy and advancement coordinator at the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. "I'm tired, but more than anything, I'm angry. The people are angry, and we are not going to let them get away with it this time."
Lawmakers advanced several bills last week related to data centers in both chambers ahead of the rally. The bills address issues including the facilities' energy and water use, environmental impacts and how their development is regulated, as lawmakers face increasing pressure to respond to communities concerned about the effects of these facilities.