Posted on 08/19/2026 3:55:52 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a sweeping executive order on Tuesday dramatically restricting data center development in Pennsylvania, marking a major shift from his initial embrace of the increasingly unpopular projects.
Shapiro, a first-term Democrat running for reelection and a rumored 2028 presidential contender, had been an early champion of data center development in the state, including a $20 billion commitment from Amazon to build at least two data centers in Bucks and Luzerne Counties.
Now he is taking a hard-line stance against the burgeoning data center industry he once courted, as proposed projects draw increasing bipartisan backlash across Pennsylvania.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I’m as conservative or more so than most but good on Shapiro. A blind squirrel found a nut!
We might need these data centers, but let them put them in very very low population centers, or in areas that have sufficient water to run them. Not on sides of mountains that have absolutely no water like off the Casey highway in NE Pa or in Berks County which has hardly any serious number of lakes.
I don’t understand the fear of data centers. Possibly they became associated with Elon Musk and “The EVIL BILLIONAIRES.” The proposed centers I’ve read about are building out their own power. We can be assured that the people planning to spend their own money on them have taken into account the water requirements. And they represent income in taxes and employment. So, what’s the rub? They look like win/win operations to me.
Someone please give me rational reasons why not to build them.
He didn’t really find a nut. He just knows people don’t want those data centers in their space.
He also knows that Trump goes on about how great they will be in your area.
This guy would probably be for them too after he gets elected.
I wonder how many politicians in wealthy communities have a big old data center yucking up their community next to their mansions?
I agree.
It's possible that Shapiro is only addressing practical concerns and not squeezing "evil corporations" for campaign contributions, possible.
How likely is it?
How honest is a typical Democrat politician?
These facilities need water and massive amounts of power. Rural areas might have the water, but grid capacity is definitely a constraint. That’s why Amazon selected industrial areas for those two Pennsylvania locations.
There is a huge amount of funding and effort of anti-Data Center activity coming from Communist China. And there is a reason they are doing that.
We aren’t spending any effort to make China suppress or fall behind in the effort to harness AI because it won’t make any impact.
However, planting the seeds of dissent and ignorance in Western Countries (specifically your primary economic and military foe in the form of the United States) yields great returns.
AI is here. It isn’t going away. If we don’t use it, other countries are going to drive it. Does anyone here want the absolutely tyrannical and brutal Communist Chinese Regime to drive this technology?
We are struggling to claw back Industry from a country we so passively and voluntarily surrendered it to for decades?
It is asinine. Why the HELL should we do this based on fear, especially fear SPECIFICALLY generated by a mortal enemy such as Communist China?
I think it is absolutely infantile, even insane, to not only voluntarily, but to openly and willingly collaborate with a known enemy such as the Communist Chinese to advance their goals.
This willing abdication to Communist Chinese machinations is self-destructive. And worse, to do it out of fear. There is a lot to be concerned with about AI. But approaching this under the whip, direction, and corrosive coaxing and ear-whispering of that evil regime is worse than self-destructive. It is suicidal.
AGREE; Shapiro does what the polls are favoring and also gets a path to get more power by controlling an important growth industry. All for the good of the people.
“We can be assured that the people planning to spend their own money on them have taken into account the water requirements.”
When someone comes into your community and wants approval for a major project you do not give them any benefit of any doubt.
You make them prove everything.
We cannot be assured of anything.
“There is a huge amount of funding and effort of anti-Data Center activity coming from Communist China. And there is a reason they are doing that.”
I believe you are exactly right.
Actually, before I would ever want a data center close to me, I want to know exactly why we need all these data centers. What are data centers doing to make life better for all Americans? Growth? What type growth? For who?
What are all the natural resources needed to run them? How will that use have and effect on my bills for power, water and trash? And noise? Are they noisy? Is emminent domain being used to take land for them? Is it taking private property for public use? Or is it taking private property for private use?
Right now, I don’t want one near me because I see nothing good coming from them. They are probably more evil than good.
No doubt, some people are getting very wealthy off this. I doubt that includes the little guy. Well, except for the town councils who screw over the desires of their fellow citizens to okay a data center in their community. I imagine they take a little payoff for their treachery.
“There is a huge amount of funding and effort of anti-Data Center activity coming from Communist China. And there is a reason they are doing that.”
I see the talking points of America’s enemies like Iran, Russia and China all the time in our media. There appears to be no push back from anyone.
Background
Key Findings
Impact
Water and energy use in communities are just a couple of the problems. But problems are meant to be solved, not avoided by sticking our collective heads in the sand.
Because our enemies will NOT be sticking their heads in the sand. They are going to leverage it and use it to destroy us.
Push back would be an improvement! Right now, as this article regarding a Democrat Governor of a big swing state indicates total subjugation and collaboration.
Mr. slime. He will build 20 once reelected.
Data centers provide 40% of Loudoun County’s (VA) revenue. China wants to control all the data centers so they can control the information from them.
The Clinton wing of the DNC is clearly pushing Shapiro based on this article.
I’m pretty sure the Bernie Base won’t support him.
We already have data centers all over the country.
Google owns most of them.
There are no rational reasons. It’s pure panic that mostly started with crazy lefties but is spreading among normies now.
The globalist tech oligarchs who were talking about climate change and eating bugs were the bad guys. Now they forgot about climate and want to build more and more data centers. So people ask, are they still the bad guys, and should we give them what they want? More data centers may be good and necessary, but it’s understandable that people are hesitant. The left picked up on the issue but the skepticism and hostility go beyond the left-wing activists.
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