What do you know about data centers?  This would be a good time to educate yourself.  

PA is becoming a draw for data centers, and I am not sure that is a good thing.

According to the Environmental and Energy Study Group, large data centers can use up to five million gallons of water per day, or 1.8 billion gallons annually. The same usage as a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people.  What happens when PA experiences a drought?

Power company PPL has applied to the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for a rate increase.  It appears that PPL wants to provide energy to data centers at a lower rate than they charge residential customers. Also, PPL does not account for transmission interconnection costs, which could be borne by residential customers.

Data centers run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. Typically, a single center uses enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. Large centers could use enough for one million homes. 

For years, PJM (the regional transmission center) had excess generating capacity.  No more.

Educate yourself and then contact the PUC and tell them you do not want your rates increased—and that if built, you want data centers to pay for the infrastructure they require. You can get more information and submit a comment to PUC on its website (www.puc.pa.gov). Reference docket no. M-2025-3054271.

Another way to counter the potential explosion of resource-draining data centers is to contact your local government and tell them you do not want data centers in your community. Local governments have zoning regulations and ordinances that can restrict development.  Make sure your local government has protections in place should large corporations want to build data centers in your community.

Julie Pease
Lake Ariel PA