Josh Shapiro signs executive order restricting data center development in Pennsylvania

Published August 18, 2026 3:43pm ET



Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) signed an executive order Tuesday to remove current and future data centers from Pennsylvania’s fast-track permitting program, which he says has received more than 100 data center proposals from technology companies.

The governor decried the “unacceptable number of speculative proposals” that have been submitted to the state for consideration. He also accused tech companies of “being aggressive with township officials, bullying our neighbors, and refusing to listen to the people of Pennsylvania” while presenting their case for more data centers.

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