By: AJ Cummins, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
On Feb 3, 2026, Governor Shapiro announced the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development standards (GRID), which focuses expectations on large scale infrastructure projects including data centers.[1] The GRID framework rests upon four pillars: developers must fund their own power generation without burdening ratepayers, engage transparently with host communities before breaking ground, enter into community agreements that create local jobs, and meet strict environmental and water conservation benchmarks.[2] Additionally, developers who comply with GRID will gain expedited permitting through Shapiro’s Fast Track program and gain access to state tax credits.[3]
In Cumberland County, there has been pushback from some residents due to varying concerns. For example, in Hampden Township, commissioners voted 5-0 to reject a draft zoning ordinance that would have permitted data center development in the Industrial and Office Park districts, following overwhelming opposition from residents that was centered upon water usage, noise, and proximity to homes.[4] Hampden residents noted that the proposed ordinance would have merely required an at minimum 200-foot buffer from any occupied residential building and a data center.[5] In Middlesex Township, one resident in particular turned down a $15 million offer from developers as he would not see his family farmland turned into a datacenter.[6] Even with the pushback and rejections from residents, the $15 billion development project has been steadily receiving approvals.[7] The project secured water rights in January of 2026 and substation approval was granted on March 4, 2026, resulting in a new phase of construction for the first data center are prepared to begin.[8]
While GRID standards have drawn bipartisan interest in the General Assembly, there has been notable legal scrutiny.[9] A critical gap is that GRID currently functions as an incentive based structure, rather than a regulatory mandate, leaving developers who ignore the standard as simply forgoing the state benefits, rather than facing any sort of penalties.[10] At the same time, Pennsylvania municipalities face a peculiar constraint within the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), 53 P.S. §1010, as municipalities are creatures of the state and only are afforded land use powers that are expressly granted by the legislature as it is illegal under state law to deny a permit for a business that a zoning ordinance does not explicitly regulate or prohibit, which has forced townships to scramble to update their zoning ordinances before applications arrive.[11] This unique dynamic raises deeper questions about the limits of local land use authority and whether state preemption is effectively stripping communities of meaningful control.[12]
For Pennsylvania communities and their attorneys, the core question is whether voluntary standards are sufficient, or whether the legislature must act. Options on the table include amending the MPC to expressly authorize municipal data center regulations, granting the Public Utility Commission rulemaking authority over large scale energy consumers, or codifying GRID into enforceable law with real penalties that impact companies. As the Cumberland County example shows, by the time residents mobilize and local governments act, the legal window for opposing a project may have already closed.
[1] https://www.wgal.com/article/shapiro-unveils-grid-standards-proposal-limit-data-center-impacts/70238652
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] https://www.govtech.com/products/why-a-pennsylvania-county-pushed-pause-on-data-centers
[5] Id.
[6] https://www.newsweek.com/farmer-explains-turning-down-millions-data-center-developers-11540045
[7] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03032026/pennsylvania-data-center-resistance/
[8] https://www.pennlive.com/business/2026/03/15-billion-pennsylvania-data-center-gets-approval-for-power-infrastructure.html
[9] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06022026/pennsylvania-governor-josh-shapiro-data-center-growth-consumer-protections/
[10] https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/03/data-centers-josh-shapiro-permitting-water-energy-jobs-regulation-environment/
[11] https://www.cityandstatepa.com/policy/2026/02/pa-lawmakers-show-bipartisan-interest-standards-data-centers/411252/
[12] Id.