House okays bill to let municipalities call a 6-month data center pause

(The Center Square) – Municipalities would be able to bring about a six-month “pause” in considering data center proposals under a bill that passed the state House with nearly unanimous support on Wednesday.

“They need time,” Rep. Greg Scott, a Montgomery County Democrat, said of municipalities dealing with such proposals.

The bill, he said, would help municipalities get better control of a challenging situation.

Sponsored by Chester County Democratic Rep. Paul Friel, the legislation passed 201-1 with the only “no” coming from Republican Rep. Eric Nelson of Westmoreland County. The vote came just before action on another high-profile bill that would put into state law a set of data center standards proposed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The vote on the GRID standard...