State lawmakers called ‘sellouts’ as residents seek data center moratorium

(The Center Square) – A large throng of residents from across the state who are fed up with the data center frenzy filled the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday with cheers and speeches of support for a proposed three-year moratorium on data center development.

None of the speakers had kind words for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, whom they accused of siding with wealthy tech companies and being absent from conversations with people concerned about data centers. Colby Wesner, a pediatrician from Montour County who has used Right-to-Know requests to illuminate unpublicized and concerning aspects of data center activity, said the governor had made “best friends” of Amazon and the Data Center Coalition, an industry trade group.

Wesner dismissed Shapiro’s announced Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development standards – which the administration has touted as a set of best practices for data center proposals – as a “PR stunt to attempt to show concern.”

A main thrust Tues...