Trump Accelerates Data Centers as Pennsylvania Imposes Moratoriums

The rapid expansion of hyperscale data centers for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency has created a policy divide between federal and state governments. Donald Trump signed executive orders to accelerate permitting and repurpose federal lands in Kentucky and Nevada for data center use, bypassing certain environmental reviews to speed up development.

In contrast, Pennsylvania has moved to restrict growth. The state House passed HB2496 to establish a six-month moratorium on new centers, and the city of Reading implemented its own six-month pause. Governor Josh Shapiro further restricted development by issuing an executive order that ended fast-tracked permitting and introduced the GRID standards.

Environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation and PennEnvironment, argue these facilities strain water supplies, increase noise pollution, and prolong the use of coal plants. PennEnvironment emphasized the need to avoid investing in technology that does more harm than good or overbuilding. Conversely, the Breakthrough Institute maintains that the massive power demand creates a commercial imperative to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies, such as geothermal and next-generation nuclear power.