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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's Executive Order introduces new regulations for data center development, establishing requirements for energy affordability, community engagement, and environmental protection while granting municipalities increased authority over local projects. The order presents unique challenges for developers as most local codes lack provisions for data centers, a relatively new land use category that has emerged only in recent years.
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Covering the impact of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's Executive Order regulating data center development, Jon Campisi of Law.com spoke with Matthew N. McClure, practice leader of the Ballard Spahr's Real Estate Development and Property Rights Group.
The Executive Order sets out requirements on energy affordability, community engagement, workforce and economic development, transparency, and environmental protection. It also gives municipalities greater say over data center development in their own backyards. The challenge for developers, Matt told Law.com, is that "the vast majority of local codes do not contemplate data centers because data centers weren’t really a real known use to most folks until a few years ago.”
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