HARRISBURG, June 29, 2026 — Senator Katie Muth today released the following statement regarding the House’s fast-tracked passage of House Bill 2496 and calls for the passage of Senate Bill 1359, which implements a mandatory statewide three-year moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers:

“This past week in Harrisburg, I was honored to join Food & Water Watch and concerned residents from across Pennsylvania to demand immediate action to stop further corporate exploitation by Big Tech and pass a statewide moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers and their associated infrastructure through SB 1359, a bill with bipartisan support.

Hard truths were told during our press conference. Pennsylvania is failing the people of this Commonwealth. Red carpets for hyperscale data center developers and behind-the-scenes deals have eroded public trust and corrupted the democratic process.

Some elected officials may not have expected the public to connect the dots, but the jig is up. From the Capitol Rotunda to municipal meetings across Pennsylvania, people are making one thing clear: PA IS NOT FOR SALE.

While the public is demanding real protections, many legislators are celebrating so-called victories like HB 2496’s optional municipal pause on reviewing data center applications. Municipalities already have this zoning tool available to address development concerns.

OPTIONAL is NOT protective.

HB 2496 relies entirely on local governments choosing to act and ignores the reality that the impacts of hyperscale data centers and their associated gas-fired power plants extend far beyond municipal boundaries. A 180-day pause, or even 360 days, is not enough time to complete cumulative impact studies, collect seasonal baseline data on noise, air, and water quality, train emergency responders, or acquire specialized equipment.

Adding to the challenge, fire departments currently face supply chain delays of up to three years for new apparatus due to consolidation and private equity buyouts in the fire equipment industry.

Yet, according to state leaders, Pennsylvania is “open for business.”

Another important detail: HB 2496’s pause is triggered by a data center application, not a standalone power plant application. If a gas-fired power plant is proposed, permitted, or owned separately, HB 2496 provides no explicit authority to pause that application. Power generation proposals could still move forward during the optional pause period.

SB 1359 takes a truly protective approach. It establishes a mandatory, statewide three-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers and their related infrastructure, including power generation facilities, and applies to both state and local approvals.

Maybe, just maybe, someone in the House will introduce companion legislation, pass it, and send it to the Senate. Tick tock.

Every delay allows additional projects, negotiations, and permit applications to move forward behind closed doors.

Equally troubling is the repeated claim that a three-year moratorium is somehow unconstitutional. I’ve been asking for a legal memo or analysis supporting that position since March, and I’m still waiting.

I want to thank my staff and Senate Democratic Caucus legal staff for helping draft SB 1359, legislation designed to prevent further harm before irreversible decisions are made.

If legislators are concerned about the constitutionality of a moratorium, why aren’t they asking similar questions about executive actions designed to fast-track AI infrastructure and data center development? Why isn’t there the same scrutiny of expedited permitting programs and accelerated approvals?

Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution states:

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”

Where is the discussion about whether the rapid buildout of hyperscale data centers and associated power generation facilities is consistent with those constitutional obligations?

Be wary of elected officials who selectively apply the Constitution. Property rights matter, but so do the constitutional rights of Pennsylvanians to clean air, pure water, and safe communities. If there is legal authority showing that corporations can build massive industrial operations with significant impacts on neighboring communities while fully complying with those constitutional obligations, then let’s see the legal analysis and case law.

Today, the House and Senate return to Harrisburg with a looming June 30 budget deadline. Stay vigilant. Many expect the public to be distracted and not paying attention.

Keep calling your elected officials. Demand real protections, not performative policies. If lawmakers are serious about putting people before billion-dollar corporations, then they should pass a real, mandatory statewide moratorium.

Anything less looks a lot like election-year politics.”