Shapiro on placing guardrails on AI data centers in Pennsylvania: "I don't want developers running roughshod"

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Tuesday that limits new data centers across the commonwealth, saying he doesn’t want developers “running roughshod” over local communities. On CBS Mornings Wednesday, the Democratic governor argued that his concerns came from conversations with constituents, after previously working to bring two AI data centers—funded by a reported $20 billion Amazon investment—into the state. Shapiro cited examples including a proposed site near Eddie Staback Park in Lackawanna County and another in Montgomery County, where he said developers ignored local input. The order includes tougher review processes, attention to environmental and energy impacts, a requirement that operators provide their own power, and a mandate for municipal approval amid rising national skepticism about data centers.