Pennsylvania town hall erupts over data center boom

On Wednesday night, a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania attracted more than 225 attendees and featured 20 speakers who expressed their strong disapproval of the swift expansion of data centers in the state. The event, organized by the Better Path Coalition, addressed issues such as increasing electricity costs, excessive water consumption, noise pollution, and the industrialization of rural areas. Jennifer Dusart, a small business owner from Mechanicsburg, criticized officials for their lack of transparency and disregard for public concerns. Governor Josh Shapiro faced significant backlash, as Kelly Donia, a Democrat from East Whiteland Township near a proposed data center, announced her withdrawal of support for him. The Data Center Proposal Tracker indicates that Pennsylvania has nearly 60 data centers at various stages of development. Meanwhile, Karen Feridun from the Better Path Coalition highlighted that the Pennsylvania Data Center Resistance Facebook group she initiated in January has surged from a few dozen to over 12,000 members. A Quinnipiac University poll from February revealed that 68% of registered voters oppose an AI data center in their community, while an Emerson College survey from November indicated a nearly even divide among Pennsylvanians regarding data center development.