Grid operator PJM and governors from 13 states, including Pennsylvania, are pursuing different approaches to manage data center power demands and rising electricity costs. The Trump administration and governors support requiring data centers to pay for additional power through new rate classes, while PJM proposes allowing data centers to "bring your own generation" with expedited grid connections. Both plans aim to insulate regular consumers from data center impacts as electricity prices spiked over 20% in 2025.

Pennsylvania ranks 49th nationally for percentage growth in solar, wind, and geothermal generation over the past decade, according to PennEnvironment's State of Renewable Energy 2025 report. The commonwealth saw strong growth in electric vehicles (14th) and charging stations (10th), but renewable energy brought online since 2015 would power fewer than 4% of Pennsylvania homes. Environmental advocates are calling for passage of Gov. Shapiro's Lightning Plan to accelerate clean energy growth.

Environmental lawyers renewed their 2018 petition demanding Pennsylvania adopt a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, citing the state's constitutional environmental rights amendment. The SAVER regulation proposal would reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2052, modeled on California's program. Pennsylvania currently ranks 39th globally for climate pollution.

Both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders showed support for Gov. Shapiro's GRID standards for data center development in Pennsylvania. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford and Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman both expressed interest in requiring data centers to supply their own energy, with bipartisan agreement on responsible growth that protects local communities and manages energy costs.

Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his GRID standards requiring data center developers to bring their own power generation, commit to transparency and community engagement, hire local workers, and protect the environment. The governor emphasized Pennsylvania's role in AI development while addressing concerns about data centers' impacts on communities, utility bills, and the environment.

Power generation outages are expected to increase significantly on the nation's largest electric grid. The anticipated surge raises concerns about grid reliability and highlights the critical need for skilled electrical workers to maintain infrastructure.

Gas-fired power plant development in the US nearly tripled in 2025, driven primarily by energy-hungry AI data centers. More than a quarter of all global gas power pipeline projects are now in the US, with over a third of newly proposed capacity explicitly linked to data center projects. The boom raises concerns about long-term emissions and threatens to derail climate goals.