"A new study says the data center industry’s expansion echoes patterns of environmental and health harms that have long plagued the state."
"Pennsylvania’s data center industry has promised economic growth and a revival of the state’s industrial strength. But a new report issued Tuesday finds little evidence of job growth and warns that adding more of the massive computer complexes could repeat a long history of industrial facilities exploiting the communities that house them.
The research group Data & Society spent almost two years investigating the material, social and political impacts of the industry on Pennsylvania, where 66 data centers could be built if all current plans move forward, according to Data Center Proposal Tracker, an independent website. Of the total, five are under construction and another five have been approved for construction.
After talking to developers, attending industry conferences, consulting academic experts and gathering input from community members, the researchers concluded that the industry would need huge quantities of land, water and energy, and that the state’s “residual assets” from earlier industrial development make it especially attractive to the industry."
Jon Hurdle reports for Inside Climate News September 22, 2026.
