PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania's House passed two bills on Monday targeting data center regulation, one requiring annual reports on electricity, water and greenhouse gas emissions and another directing the Local Government Commission to develop a model zoning ordinance for municipalities.

The reporting bill, authored by Rep. Kyle Mullins, would require data centers to file annual disclosures with the Department of Environmental Protection.

The model ordinance bill, by Rep. Kyle Donahue, would give municipalities a template covering setbacks, landscape buffers, noise limits and other land-use standards.

MICHIGAN

A new report from Synapse Energy Economics finds that requiring data centers to cover the costs of new energy infrastructure they create, rather than spreading them to all ratepayers, could save Michigan households about $99 per year by 2030.

The analysis comes as multiple large-scale data centers are proposed across the state, raising questions about who pays for the grid capacity and infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them. State regulators will need to determine how to allocate those costs, a decision with significant implications for what residents pay on their monthly electricity bills.

North Carolina

Gov. Josh Stein called for eliminating long-standing state subsidies for data centers, saying the facilities need to pay their way so residential consumers don't bear the cost.

Figures from the N.C. Department of Commerce show the state is forgoing roughly $50 million a year in revenue because of data center exemptions, a figure likely to rise as the industry grows. The tax breaks were created 20 years ago. Whether the Republican-led General Assembly would back the proposal from the Democratic governor remains unclear, as leaders from both parties have generally supported economic development incentives.

Bangor, Maine

Bangor's City Council unanimously passed a six-month freeze on data center development, giving officials time to develop a policy framework for regulating the facilities.

The freeze comes as the Maine Legislature considers a statewide 18-month ban, though Gov. Janet Mills has expressed hesitation, saying some towns need the jobs centers could bring. Carson said the council can extend the moratorium beyond 180 days if needed.

DeKalb County, Indiana

DeKalb County's Plan Commission voted on April 8 to recommend a six-month moratorium on data centers, sending it to the county commissioners for approval at their April 13 meeting. The pause would give officials time to gather information and write an ordinance.

Plan commission attorney Andrew Kruse said without a moratorium, any data center that applies while the ordinance is being drafted would be grandfathered in with no specific regulations. The commission also plans to attend a Midwest data center conference to inform its approach.

Cochise County, Arizona

Cochise County's Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance defining and setting initial guidelines for data centers, acting before any developer submits a formal application.

The ordinance requires developers to file a comprehensive proposal including a site plan, infrastructure impact breakdown, noise study, fire emergency plan and water use plan. Chairman Frank Antenori said applications will be accessible to the public, noting the county learned from transparency issues in Pima and Pinal Counties. Antenori called the ordinance a starting point, saying a work session for public input will follow before water and power usage limitations are added.

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Ravenna, Ohio

Ravenna's planning committee advanced a year-long moratorium on new data centers on April 10 after nearly 100 residents packed the council chambers to voice opposition.

The turnout came despite the meeting being held in the middle of the afternoon. Resident Will Hollingsworth's five-minute speech against the proposal gained over 250,000 views on X, arguing that data centers extract local resources while creating minimal jobs. The Ravenna City Council will hold a special meeting on April 20 to vote on the moratorium.

West Rockhill, Pennsylvania

West Rockhill supervisors are considering a zoning ordinance that would create a new data center use category in the planned industrial district by special exception. A public hearing is scheduled for April 15.

The proposed regulations would require applicants to improve public infrastructure where necessary to avoid negative impacts and to install on-site solar power to reduce strain on the electricity grid. No formal application has been filed, but planners reviewed an informal sketch plan last fall for a 150,000-to-200,000-square-foot facility at 215 Cathill Road in Sellersville. Residents spoke against that concept, citing concerns about noise, light pollution and water usage.

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