Pennsylvania Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-46) plans to propose a companion bill in her chamber to establish faster permitting for data center projects.
“The idea of artificial intelligence is not being pulled from a science fiction novel — it is a rapidly emerging technology that is at our doorstep,” Bartolotta said. “Pennsylvania is primed to become a hub for cultivating the most significant technological shift since the Industrial Revolution. Accelerating the construction of data centers will be pivotal to staying ahead of the curve.”
Bartolotta joins state Reps. Eric Nelson (R-57), Kyle Mullins (D-112) and Jamie Barton (R-124), who circulated an April 22 memo seeking cosponsors in their bipartisan effort to ensure accelerated permits for data center projects “that commit to equal, or higher, environmental performance,” the memo states.
On April 28, Nelson said that the forthcoming legislation would direct the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to generate approved earthwork, stormwater, and air permits to developers who commit to improved environmental outcomes by meeting, or exceeding, design standards.
“Our accelerated permit will enable simultaneous pursuit of additional permits and processes like Highway Occupancy Permits, Environmental Justice Permits, land use approvals, and other complicated hurdles which can considerably delay project approval,” he said. “We need to be faster.”
Better environmental outcomes, the legislators said, can be achieved when developers are empowered to innovate, design, and implement advanced techniques to increase field performance.
“Engineers, and artificial intelligence, can pre-determine specific air emissions generated from multiple sized power plants,” said Barton. “If engineering stamps and site designs meet or exceed federal limits, there is no need to wait for a multi-year DEP review.”
Bartolotta issued the identical cosponsorship memo July 17 and pointed out that faster permits also can equal cleaner air and water.
“Simultaneous pursuit of much-needed parallel permitting welcomes investment and ensures responsible development,” according to her memo. “This legislation grants air-permits, earthwork permits, and stormwater approval at the time of paid application and holds the generator accountable for meeting, or exceeding, federal air emissions and design standards.
“If an engineer’s design stamp commits to meeting or outperforming standards, elite investors should no longer be forced into a multi-year process to receive permits,” the memo states.