Markets / Pennsylvania
MW Desk addition · Hyperscale pipeline · updated 2026-11-05
Pennsylvania (Susquehanna, Homer City, SE PA)
There is massive co-located generation potential, but PA now has the strictest 'pay your own way' executive rules of any big market.
mixedGrid: PPL, PECO, Penelec/FirstEnergy (PJM); co-located generation
Not in C&W's 2026 Americas top 30. BMI lists PA among the four largest hyperscale pipelines from 2028. [DCD: More than half of US hyperscale projects face 'regulatory friction' after midterms (B (2026-11-05)]
Power and the queue
- PPL's 'advanced' data center pipeline grew to 28.3 GW, per Utility Dive. [Utility Dive: PPL 'advanced' data center pipeline grows to 28.3 GW in Pennsylvania (2026)]
Notable projects owners where public
- AWS: a $20B Pennsylvania plan (2025), including the Salem Township (Susquehanna) campus. [Amazon: plans to invest $20B in Pennsylvania to expand cloud infrastructure (2025-06)]
- Homer City: AWS filed a 10-year, 2,200-acre plan on the former coal plant site, alongside a 4.5 GW gas plant.uncertain [Inside the Datacenter: AWS files a ten-year, 2,200-acre data center plan at Homer City (2026-09)]
Regulatory posture incentives, moratoria, zoning, water, large-load rules
- EO 2026-05 (Aug 18, 2026) GRID requirements for data centers over 25 MW: binding commitments to pay all project-caused generation, transmission, and distribution costs, local approval, and clean-firm energy targets starting at 10% and reaching 32% by 2035. The EO also pulls data centers out of PA Permit Fast Track and bars NDAs. [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Governor Shapiro signs executive order on data center develo (2026-08-18); PA DCED: The Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) requirements (2026-11-05); Reuters: Pennsylvania governor signs order imposing new rules to set up AI data centers (2026-08-18)]
- SB 1359/HB 2533 (3-year moratorium or municipal ban authority) were introduced. Gov. Shapiro was re-elected Nov 3. [NCSL: Which States Are Banning Data Centers? (updated Sep 15, 2026) (2026-09-15); DCD: Anti-data center candidates claim victory across the US in 2026 midterm elections (2026-11-04)]
Pending legislation and actions 18 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-12 | Pennsylvania state | Proposed municipal moratorium memo 48540 Amends the Municipalities Planning Code to give a municipality the option to impose a temporary (reported as up to 18 months per news coverage) moratorium on accepting/considering new applications for high-impact data centers while it revises ordinances and de | pending | medium | [PA General Assembly - Bills and Resolutions (recent activity)] |
| 2026-07-12 | Pennsylvania state | SB1345 Amends the Municipalities Planning Code to give municipalities the option to impose a temporary moratorium (reported as up to 18 months) on accepting/considering new applications for high-impact data centers while revising ordinances and developing conditional | pending | medium | [SB1345 primary source (2026-07-12)] |
| 2026-06-04 | Pennsylvania state | Proposed statewide moratorium memo 48102 Imposes a statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center development and permitting (including related power generation/transmission infrastructure per the amendment description), with enforcement provisions. | pending | medium | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - SB 1359] |
| 2026-06-04 | Pennsylvania state | SB1359 Imposes a statewide moratorium on hyperscale data center development and permitting, with enforcement provisions; described in press coverage as a three-year moratorium. Appears to correspond to the 'Proposed statewide moratorium' co-sponsorship memo (#48102). | pending | medium | [SB1359 primary source (2026-06-04)] |
| 2026-07-10 | Pennsylvania state | HB2359 Amends Right-to-Know Law to prohibit nondisclosure agreements concerning data center construction, development, or location. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2359] |
| 2026-06-30 | Pennsylvania state | Proposed Zoning Consideration Period memo 48467 Amends the Municipalities Planning Code to let a municipality impose a 180-day pause on considering data center development applications while it establishes/revises zoning ordinances for such facilities; applications submitted during the pause are automatical | pending | low | [PA General Assembly - Bills and Resolutions (recent activity)] |
| 2026-06-26 | Pennsylvania state | HB2198 Repeals the Computer Data Center Equipment Incentive Program. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2198] |
| 2026-05-01 | Pennsylvania state | HB2246 Amends Title 27 water resources provisions for covered data centers; requires water-use review/reporting for facilities with proposed consumptive use above 100,000 gallons per day over 30 days. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2246] |
| 2026-04-23 | Pennsylvania state | HB2150 Requires annual energy and water consumption reporting by data centers and imposes penalties. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2150] |
| 2026-04-23 | Pennsylvania state | HB2151 Directs the Center for Local Government Services to provide data center ordinance assistance and model municipal standards. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2151] |
| 2026-04-09 | Pennsylvania state | HB2372 Pennsylvania Ratepayer Protection Act; requires hyperscale data centers to pay their own energy and interconnection infrastructure costs. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2372] |
| 2026-03-31 | Pennsylvania state | HB1834 Data Center Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program bill; regulates commercial data centers through PUC cost responsibility, clean firm energy requirements, contract filing, backup generation, curtailment, certification, and penalties. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 1834] |
| 2026-03-31 | Pennsylvania state | SB724 Data Center Fair Share Act; regulates large-load customers, requires community benefits agreements, creates Data Center LIHEAP Enhancement Fund, and imposes PUC duties. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - SB 724] |
| 2026-02-04 | Pennsylvania state | SB939 Creates Office of Transformation and Opportunity and AI/Data Center/Emerging Technology Regulatory Sandbox Program, including high-impact data center permits for facilities with their own power. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - SB 939] |
| 2026-01-21 | Pennsylvania state | HB2153 Addresses disposition of data center property tax revenue under school district tax framework. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2153] |
| 2025-12-03 | Pennsylvania state | HB2061 Amends Computer Data Center Equipment Incentive Program eligibility, including prevailing-wage-related certification requirements. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - HB 2061] |
| 2025-11-05 | Pennsylvania state | SR185 Directs Joint State Government Commission, PUC, DCED, and DEP to assess and recommend a comprehensive state energy strategy, including high-energy-use sectors such as data centers. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - SR 185] |
| 2025-09-05 | Pennsylvania state | SB991 Creates accelerated data center siting and DEP permitting process, including candidate sites and agency coordination. | pending | low | [PA General Assembly Bill Information - SB 991] |
In force / enacted 12 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-09 | PJM (13 states + DC) utility | FERC order ER26-3515: PJM Large Load definition and registry FERC accepted the definition and registry, effective Oct 12, 2026, and rejected the rest of the filing. The registry is not a public per-request queue. | enacted | high | [FERC order ER26-3515 on PJM Large Load definition and registry (2026-10-09)] |
| 2026-09-15 | West Mahanoy Township township | West Mahanoy Township Board of Supervisors resolution invoking the municipal curative amendment process under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, declaring the zoning ordinance invalid as it relates West Mahanoy Township Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution declaring its zoning ordinance invalid as to data centers and solar farms, triggering a 180-day municipal curative-amendment period during which no applications for either use will be entertained. | in force | high | [https://shensentinel.com/news/west-mahanoy-invokes-six-month-moratorium-on-data-centers-so] |
| 2026-08-18 | Pennsylvania state | Executive Order 2026-05 (GRID requirements) Data centers over 25 MW must make binding commitments to pay all project-caused generation, transmission, distribution and upgrade costs, obtain local approvals, and meet clean-firm targets rising from 10% to 32% by 2035. Data centers are removed from PA Permi | in force | high | [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Governor Shapiro signs executive order on data center develo (2026-08-18)] |
| 2026-07-27 | Falls Township (Bucks County) township | Falls Township Board of Supervisors resolution (adopted July 27, 2026) declaring a portion of the zoning ordinance 'substantively invalid' as to data centers, initiating a municipal curative amendment Falls Township Board of Supervisors voted July 27, 2026 to declare part of its zoning ordinance substantively invalid as to data centers, opening a 180-day curative-amendment period to draft new zoning rules. Duration: 180 days from July 27, 2026 for the towns | in force | high | [https://levittownnow.com/2026/07/28/falls-twp-declares-part-of-zoning-ordinance-invalid-af] |
| 2026-07-21 | Morrisville Borough other | Morrisville Borough Council resolution (adopted July 21, 2026) declaring a portion of the borough's zoning ordinance invalid and initiating a municipal curative amendment under the PA Municipalities P Morrisville Borough Council adopted a resolution on 2026-07-21 declaring part of its zoning ordinance invalid and opening a 180-day curative-amendment/waiting period to draft data-center zoning regulations. Duration: 180-day waiting period from July 21, 2026 t | in force | high | [https://bucksindependence.com/morrisville-borough-prepares-ordinance-change-aimed-at-data-] |
| 2026-06-16 | Doylestown Township township | Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors resolution (adopted June 16, 2026) invoking the municipal curative amendment process, declaring the zoning ordinance's failure to identify or regulate data cen Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors voted on June 16, 2026 to begin a 180-day municipal curative amendment process, temporarily freezing any data-center applications while the township drafts zoning rules. Duration: 180 days (six months) from June 16, 202 | in force | high | [https://bucksindependence.com/doylestown-township-moves-to-block-data-center-applications-] |
| 2026-06-08 | Bensalem Township township | Township Council resolution, Municipal Curative Amendment (Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Section 609.2) Duration: 180-day municipal curative-amendment period after declaring portions of the zoning ordinance substantively invalid as to data centers, solar energy, and wind energy. Official minutes describe the protected period as a 180-day moratorium. | in force | high | [Bensalem Township, Bucks County (2026-06-08)] |
| 2026-06-08 | Hazle Township township | Municipal curative amendment adopted by the Hazle Township Board of Supervisors, temporarily invalidating portions of the township zoning ordinance for 180 days on the stated grounds that the ordinanc Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a 180-day curative amendment pausing consideration of new data-center applications while permanent zoning language is drafted. Duration: 180 days from adoption (to approximately 2026-12-05). | in force | high | [Hazle Township, PA Pauses Data Center Development for Six Months (2026-06-09)] |
| 2026-05-18 | Mount Carmel Township township | Mount Carmel Township municipal curative amendment under the PA Municipalities Planning Code; the township's own site describes it simply as the '180 day moratorium enacted on May 18, 2026,' the end r Mount Carmel Township Board of Supervisors adopted a 180-day moratorium on data-center proposals on 2026-05-18 to allow time to draft a curative-amendment zoning ordinance, with a public-comment hearing on the draft ordinance held Sept. 23, 2026. Duration: 180 | in force | high | [https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/hundreds-in-mt-carmel-townsh] |
| 2026-05-12 | Butler Township (Luzerne County) township | Resolution No. 05122026, Municipal Curative Amendment (Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code Section 609.2) Duration: Declares the township zoning ordinance substantively invalid for not defining or regulating data centers, triggering a 180-day municipal curative-amendment period during which new data center applications are paused from vesting under the prior ordin | in force | high | [2026 Resolution No. 05122026 Adopting a Municipal Curative Amendment] |
| 2026-05 | West Whiteland Township township | West Whiteland Township municipal curative amendment under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, declaring the zoning ordinance deficient for regulating data centers (specific resolution number not locuncertain West Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors invoked a municipal curative amendment declaring its zoning ordinance deficient for regulating data centers, giving the township 180 days (through approximately Nov. 1, 2026) to adopt corrective standards. Duration: | in force | high | [https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_06f92bfc-34c1-430c-9487-375bde5c9415.] |
| 2026-03 | East Whiteland Township township | East Whiteland Township municipal curative amendment under the PA Municipalities Planning Code, developed with a resident working group beginning May 2026; a Sept. 24, 2026 public hearing was set to cuncertain East Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors initiated a municipal curative amendment in March 2026 to add data-center zoning standards; a resident working group helped draft the resulting ordinance, which was scheduled for a Sept. 24, 2026 adoption hearing. D | in force | high | [https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_06f92bfc-34c1-430c-9487-375bde5c9415.] |
Pricing & supply snapshot directional
MW Desk estimate / directional range, Q4 2026
Asking-rate bands below are MW Desk directional estimates in USD per kW-month. They are rounded ranges, not quoted rates, and they go stale quickly.
- Retail colo (roughly 0–250 kW): $165–325/kW-mo
- Wholesale (roughly 250 kW–4 MW): $95–245/kW-mo
- Large / hyperscale blocks (roughly 4 MW+): $100–235/kW-mo
- Vacancy band: around 5–8% (moderately available)
- Commissioned inventory (directional): ~55–145 MW
- Available power (directional): ~0–20 MW
- Under construction: ~0–15 MW
- Planned pipeline: ~2.2–2.9 GW
- Absorption: solid positive absorption
- Power / timing: Mix of tight wholesale and some retail availability; large contiguous blocks still require lead time.
Directional ranges lean on the Pittsburgh metro; Susquehanna / Homer City / SE PA campuses are not separately priced here.
Indicative only. Ranges are rounded and adjusted directional estimates, not quoted asking rates or a survey. Confirm with brokers and operators before acting. Source data ages quickly.
TJ field notes
Coming soon: TJ's on-the-ground notes on this market. Expect what the queue really looks like, which sites can actually get power, and what the brokers aren't saying.
Slot reserved for TJ's detailed market report.