Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order. The order ends the fast-track permitting process for data centers. This directly impacts Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other major developers. The decision reverses earlier policy, following growing public and political backlash. This backlash concerns the strain large-scale data centers place on local power grids and water resources.
New regulations require developers to secure local approval before the state's environmental review begins. The regulations also mandate compliance with stricter energy and environmental standards, known as the GRID requirements. The order bans non-disclosure agreements. This aims to increase transparency. Amazon had a multi-billion dollar expansion planned for the state. Its projects will now face a more lengthy and stringent approval process.