What happened
In Pennsylvania, data centers have become a highly controversial issue. Just a few months ago, they were seen as a positive development, with plans to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power a fleet of data centers for Microsoft. However, by this fall, data centers had become widely opposed, with many politicians and locals speaking out against them.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, who initially supported the data center industry, has since introduced new regulations on them. His opponent, Stacy Garrity, has criticized him for his ties to the industry, while Shapiro has pointed out that Garrity has received donations from AI industry groups.
In the Philadelphia area, where several key elections are taking place, candidates are using opposition to data centers as a campaign issue. For example, Democratic candidate Eileen Albillar is running ads attacking her Republican opponent, Frank Farry, for his ties to data center developers.
According to recent polls, a majority of Pennsylvania voters oppose the construction of data centers, with 60% of likely voters expressing opposition in an August poll. This shift in public opinion has led politicians to reevaluate their stance on the issue, with many now speaking out against data centers.
