Harrisburg, PA - Today, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05, directing Commonwealth agencies to require all data center proposals applying for permits with the Commonwealth to comply with the Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Requirements, blocking speculative, irresponsible data center projects from moving forward, giving local communities more power over data center development, and protecting Pennsylvania residents.

The Governor also immediately removed all AI data center projects from the PA Permit Fast Track Program and will not consider data center projects for the program going forward. Further, the Executive Order implements new public transparency requirements for developers, and makes clear use of nondisclosure agreements with data center projects is not permissible.

This Executive Order lays out strict requirements that data center developers must meet regarding energy affordability, community engagement, workforce and economic development, transparency, and environmental protection - and gives local municipalities a greater say over development in their communities.

Here's what Pennsylvania's elected leaders are saying about Governor Shapiro's Executive Order:

Senator Jay Costa, Senate Democratic Leader: "I am pleased that Governor Shapiro is taking executive action to hold data center developers accountable for the impacts they have on Pennsylvania's communities. Senate Republicans have abdicated their responsibility to protect ratepayers, deliver local control, safeguard the environment, or listen to Pennsylvanians of every county demanding the legislature's attention. Governor Shapiro is stepping up and demonstrating real, commonsense leadership as Senate Republicans fail to engage in this critical conversation."

Pennsylvania House Democratic Leaders Speaker Joanna McClinton, Majority Leader Matt Bradford, and Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris: "Governor Shapiro's executive order puts strong, commonsense requirements in place that will hold data center developers accountable and protect our communities, utility costs and environment. This executive action is necessary, given the Senate Republicans' inability to advance any legislation to rein in this growing industry. It also builds on the work House Democrats have already advanced through the passage of multiple bipartisan bills to give communities more control, prevent electricity rate hikes, protect clean water, and much more. While these measures to hold big tech accountable sit languishing in the Senate, Governor Shapiro is taking strong, meaningful and comprehensive action. We commend him on his leadership and for putting Pennsylvanians first."

Senator Maria Collett, PA's 12th Senate District: "This is what it looks like when everyday people take on some of the wealthiest companies in the world to protect their neighborhoods. For over a year, residents in Plymouth Township have organized against a hyperscale data center at 900 Conshohocken Road. They went to zoning hearings. They collected signatures. They asked hard questions while companies with billions in market value treated their neighborhood as a line item. Today, Governor Shapiro's executive order proves they're on the right side of this fight. Data centers will now have to generate their own power instead of shifting the cost onto Pennsylvania families' electric bills. They will have to give communities real notice before decisions get made, not after the fact. No state agency will be allowed to sign away the public's right to know on their behalf. These developers had every advantage in this fight. Money. Lawyers. Access. What they did not have was a community willing to back down. Pennsylvania's constitution guarantees us clean air, pure water, and the preservation of our environment, and today the Governor used that guarantee to stand with residents over developers. I am proud to represent a community that did not wait to be asked before they organized. That is how this fight gets won, in Plymouth Township and everywhere else in Pennsylvania facing the same fight."

Senator Andrew Malone, PA's 36th Senate District: "I'm pleased that Governor Shapiro has taken a big step to protect local communities from reckless data center development. His executive order will protect ratepayers from footing the bill for large energy consumers and strengthen environmental protections. Now, it's time for Senate Republican leadership to let the Senate do our part. They must bring us back to Harrisburg immediately to pass legislation that gives local municipalities the power to pause all data center development while they update their local zoning laws to further protect residents."

Commissioner John Smith, Hampden Township: "When we created Hampden's ordinance, we tried to put real, enforceable protections in place for things like energy costs, the environment, transparency, jobs and community involvement. What Governor Shapiro is doing takes many of those same concerns and addresses them at the state level. That gives communities like Hampden another layer of protection while still allowing us to make decisions locally. That's really what local control is about and I want to thank Governor Shapiro for giving communities like Hampden a seat at the table."

Dave Sanko, Executive Director, PA State Association of Township Supervisors: "Today's announcement is important because it reinforces a fundamental principle: land-use decisions are best made at the local level by the officials who know their communities, understand local conditions, such as geography and public safety capabilities, and are accountable to the residents they serve… I've been around Harrisburg through eight governors and they all 'talked the talk' about cooperating with local governments, but this Governor - with today's Executive Order - is walking the walk by directing his Cabinet not to issue permits before local leaders have had all their questions answered and make a decision. Governor, on behalf of Pennsylvania's townships and all local governments across the Commonwealth, thank you for your leadership and advocacy in prioritizing local decision-making on these important issues."

Here's what environmental advocates, organized labor, and industry leaders are saying about Governor Shapiro's Executive Order:

Manish Bapna, President & CEO, Natural Resources Defense Council: "Pennsylvania families shouldn't foot the bill for the AI boom. Governor Shapiro's Executive Order marks progress by strongly encouraging data centers to pay for their own power and grid upgrades. That helps relieve people in the state of serious cost and pollution burdens. Pennsylvanians know affordable energy and clean energy are not competing goals here, they are the same goal. Pennsylvanians have made clear they do not want unlimited, unaccountable data center growth. They want the affordability, transparency and public health protections in these standards. And they want the legislature to finish the job."

Dawone Robinson, Managing Director, Climate & Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council: "There are a litany of issues concerning the public about the rapid proliferation of data centers nationwide. The GRID EO starts to address some of the biggest, as it relates to affordability, clean energy, and transparency. There is more to do, but this is a strong start for Pennsylvania."

Jesse Lee, Senior Advisor, Climate Power: "Governor Shapiro is showing real leadership by making clear that the AI boom cannot mean higher utility bills for families or an epidemic of air pollution in our communities. There is always more work to do, but this stands in stark contrast to Republicans who have handed giant tech companies a blank check, and a Trump Administration that is weakening clean air protections and making it harder for communities to have a say when new pollution threatens their health. We need more leaders like Governor Shapiro who stand up for working families and make powerful corporations pay their own way."

Molly Parzen, Executive Director, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania: "We applaud Governor Shapiro for listening to the concerns of the environmental community, local elected officials and community advocates and establishing important protections for working families and our environment in the face of an unchecked data center explosion. Our commonwealth's affordability crisis is being exacerbated by the rapid surge in data center development, which also threatens our clean air, our pure water and our open space. This Executive Order is a meaningful step forward that will help expand clean energy generation and put safeguards in place to protect local communities. Data center developers and Big Tech titans cannot be allowed to rake in record profits at the expense of our energy bills, our clean air or our water. We appreciate that Governor Shapiro listened to the calls of so many advocates from both the environment and labor movements and brought us to the table to develop a response. However, this Executive Order is only a first step. Compared to neighboring states, Pennsylvania is lagging behind. While House Democrats have stepped up by passing aggressive, commonsense consumer protections, like HB 1834, state Senate Republicans have blocked nearly all efforts to regulate data centers. For Pennsylvania to truly protect communities and the environment, Senate Republicans must stop stalling and come to the table with Governor Shapiro and House Democrats to pass comprehensive legislation that expands clean energy, protects public health and prevents Big Tech companies from making billions on the backs of Pennsylvania families."

Rob Bair, President of the Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council: "The Pennsylvania State Building Trades support the GRID principles outlined by Governor Shapiro and applaud the Governor's reasonable, measured approach to ensure that responsible data center developers have a path to build here in Pennsylvania. Community benefits, environmental consciousness, and mitigating energy costs are real concerns for our members, and we don't have to choose between creating good paying construction jobs and ensuring that Pennsylvania consumers are protected in the process. We look forward to continuing to work with the Shapiro administration on responsible development across the Commonwealth."

Patrick Cicero, Counsel, Pennsylvania Utility Law Project: "Our system is broken. Not only is energy unaffordable, it is increasingly scarce. We have multi-billion-dollar price increases and a less reliable grid. This is exactly why the action taken today matters. It seeks to ensure that we do not have a system where the wealthiest companies in the world get economic windfalls while a grandmother in Pennsylvania gets stuck with an electric bill she cannot afford."

Katie Blume, Chair, Clean Power PA: "Clean Power PA is pleased that Governor Shapiro issued a strong executive order to hold A.I. data centers accountable, protect Pennsylvania families from the costs and other harms of unregulated data center growth, and steer data center developers to use more cheap, clean energy to power their operations. This executive order strengthens the GRID protections originally proposed by the governor earlier this year, maximizing his authority to regulate data centers under current law. The governor deserves credit for taking action on this critical issue, particularly in the face of inaction from the state Senate leadership, which has thus far stalled all legislative solutions. It's now time for the state Senate to return to Harrisburg to build on the governor's order by enacting HB 1834, legislation that has already passed the state House that imposes strict, binding safeguards on data centers, as well as other legislation to put common-sense regulations on data centers. HB 1834 and related legislation, combined with the governor's executive order, are needed so large data center developers don't stick families and small businesses with higher bills, communities are protected from the harmful environmental and health impacts of data center development, and cheap, clean energy will have a bigger role in growing our workforce and meeting the growing electric power demand across the state and region."

Tahra Hoops, Director of Economic Analysis, Chamber of Progress: "This [Executive Order] is good! Full transparency and ensuring that communities are protected prior to construction is the best path forward, along with promises to invest in local infrastructure. These are the conditions we should be putting in place so that counties, workers and their overall communities feel protected by any future data center build out and it is great to see leaders like [Governor] Shapiro lead on this issue."

Brittney Pagone, Advocate, PAMoms4Change: "Governor Shapiro just signed an executive order putting some of the strongest data center regulations in the country into place. Every data center project is off the fast-track permitting program for good. Developers now need local approval before they can even get a state permit. No more NDAs between the state and data center companies. Binding water conservation and transparency agreements. A public map tracking every proposed project. Developers cover their own power costs so your electric bill doesn't go up to subsidize Big Tech. This is what it looks like when people organize, speak up, and someone with power actually listens to their constituents. Thank you to everyone who has spoken up about data centers and to our Gov. and his Admin. for listening to us!"

Read the Governor's full Executive Order here.