Pins matching date:2026-02-01

Briar Creek Township supervisors are proposing a zoning overlay to allow for data center development on a 231-acre site across four parcels on Shickshinny Valley Road. The proposed overlay would apply to a site currently zoned for agricultural use, but would allow for data center development if approved. As reported on April 28th 2026 by Press Enterprise, a lawyer associated with the unnamed developer interested in building a data center in Briar Creek states that this 231-acre site is not ideal, and they prefer another site "on the north side of Knob Mountain and Shickshinny Valley roads, by state game lands." The developer expressed disappointment with several of the stipulations within the zoning overlay proposal, including height and decommissioning requirements set by the township.

Envision Land Use informally proposed a 'boutique' three-story, 120,000 sq ft data center on a 16.81-acre lot at 299 W. Schuylkill Road in North Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, next to a PECO substation. After heavy resident opposition, the township supervisors voted 3-2 on February 23, 2026 to reject the proposal before any formal application, and the developer said it would take the project elsewhere. No cost or completion target was published.

North Carolina HB 1002, the 'Rate Payer Protection Act' (Rep. Pricey Harrison D-Guilford), would prohibit utilities from charging residential ratepayers for the electricity costs of large commercial data centers (≥100 MW) and require those costs to be paid directly by data centers through separate rates. The bill also proposes a Special Commission for Data Center Planning to study grid capacity and forecast future needs. As of early 2026, there is little sign HB 1002 will advance. Meanwhile, NC Energy Policy Task Force found data centers account for ~80% of Duke Energy's projected demand growth. NC communities (Apex, Chatham, Gates, Canton) have enacted local moratoria as the legislature stalls. The NC Data Center Convening in Greensboro brought together 60+ advocacy groups in early 2026. VERIFIED 2026-05-26: HB 1002 was never heard in committee and is effectively dead/superseded by SB 730 (Ratepayer Protection Act) and HB 7971.

In Illinois, SB 4004 would permanently ban data centers from using Mahomet Aquifer groundwater, The sole-source drinking water for ~1 million people across 14 counties. Also prohibits local governments from entering NDAs with data center companies and requires transparency in water usage. The outcome remains pending. The community's stated objective was to ban data center development NDAs in IL. VERIFIED 2026-05-26: SB 4004 (Mahomet Aquifer ban) was re-referred to Senate Assignments May 22, 2026 with no floor vote; dead for the session (ends May 31).

Arizona: HB 2756 protects retail electricity customers from data center grid connection costs. Additional bills HB 2795 (preempts counties from preventing SMR construction near data centers) also advanced. Several other proposals (HB 2452, HB 4009, HB 2457) were killed or failed. The outcome remains pending. The community's stated objective was to require data centers to fund grid upgrades via HB 2756. VERIFIED 2026-05-26: Companion HB 2795 (SMR preemption) failed the Senate April 8 (a win on that piece), while HB 2756 (ratepayer protection) was still advancing; AZ's session ran into a late-May/June budget fight, so HB 2756's final signature/veto could not be confirmed. FLAG for re-check.

A developer presented rough plans for a 350,000-square-foot data center on approximately 40 acres of land next to the former Teva Pharmaceutical building in West Rockhill Township. The site is zoned for industrial use and is being marketed under a partnership between National Land Developers and Greener by Design. As of mid-April 2026, no formal application has been submitted to the township.

Iron City is possibly developing a data center at the Iron City No. 1 Power Generator and Compute Center, somewhere in the Karthaus area. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved Iron City Wells, LLC to construction 15 natural gas–fired engine generators to "power a compute facility", which still does not have much information public.

Kentucky: Prohibits utilities from serving data centers with 100+ MW aggregate contract capacity unless the Public Service Commission approves a specific tariff with minimum requirements including contract durations, early termination fees, load ramp terms, and financial assurances. Key concerns driving this action include ratepayer cost concerns. The outcome remains pending. VERIFIED 2026-05-26: Kentucky adjourned sine die Apr 15, 2026; HB 544 (Ratepayer Protection Act) did not pass and its data center language was stripped from SB 197 on the final day.

Would prohibit localities from granting final approvals for rezonings, special permits, and site plans for new data centers until existing grid interconnection requests are fulfilled or July 1, 2028. Introduced by Del. Irene Shin (D-Fairfax County). A House subcommittee voted to carry the bill over to the 2027 session, effectively killing it for 2026. Virginia's legislature considered over 60 data center-related bills this session.

Tennessee: Requires data center owners to pay full infrastructure costs (SB 2128), establishes data center impact reviews (SB 2653), addresses tariff structures (SB 1999), amends qualified data center tax provisions (SB 2584), and ties WARN Act/labor compliance to tax credits (HB 2047). Multiple bills pending in the 114th General Assembly, deferred to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee hearing March 10, 2026. VERIFIED 2026-05-26: Of roughly seven TN data center bills, only the industry-friendly self-generation bill (Public Chapter 961) passed; the impact-review and other bills died at sine die Apr 23.