Bethlehem, August 18, 2026 – – State Senator Lisa Boscola today made the following statement in response to Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order on Data Center Protections:
“Governor Shapiro is right to act, and I applaud his decision to issue this Executive Order today.
As Democratic Chair of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, protecting ratepayers from unfair costs and ensuring our utilities remain reliable and affordable are central to my work. That is why in January of this year, I proposed a six-bill data center consumer protection package founded on many of the same principles reflected in Executive Order 2026-05.
Data centers must pay the costs they create, utilities must not shift those costs onto existing customers, the PUC must have the tools to protect grid reliability, and local communities must have a meaningful voice before development moves forward.
I especially support the Governor’s insistence that developers secure local approvals before state permitting advances, provide detailed reporting on their energy and water use, and make binding GRID commitments to qualify for favorable permitting treatment and the state’s data center sales tax exemption. Local residents and officials deserve to know who is proposing a project, what resources it will consume, and how it could affect utility bills and surrounding neighborhoods before key decisions are made.
This Executive Order is an important and necessary step. Now, the General Assembly should work together to codify these protections into law so they are clear, consistent, and durable for Pennsylvania ratepayers and communities. I stand ready to work with Governor Shapiro and colleagues in both parties to get that done.”
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