Mapped: Data center pipeline in Pennsylvania
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Clearview, August 2026; Jim Sergent/Axios
Pennsylvania now has 135 data centers planned across the state, per a new analysis.
Why it matters: Anti-data center sentiment is spiking in the Keystone State as well as across the U.S., turning the projects into a potent political issue ahead of the midterm elections.
Driving the news: The planned data centers would massively increase the state's current capacity of 311 megawatts to 18,155 MW, per Cleanview.
- Several are proposed for the Philly region, including Sentinel's project in East Whiteland Township and the so-called Project Laurel plan in Limerick Township.
- The largest planned site in the state is outside Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County from developer TECfusions.
State of play: Pennsylvania currently has 15 operating data centers, according to market intelligence company Cleanview.
- The largest is Amazon's Susquehanna data center in Luzerne County.
Reality check: It's TBD whether all the data center projects on Cleanview's list will come to fruition.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro said earlier this month that just five proposed data center projects statewide have the permits needed to operate.
- Plus: Shapiro's recent executive order adds guardrails that make it harder for many projects to move forward.
Meanwhile, opposition to data centers is flaring up throughout the Philly region.
- Residents in Plymouth Township, Upper Merion Township and Falls Township have mobilized to scuttle proposed projects in their communities.
- And in Philly proper, a coalition group recently launched a campaign to impose a moratorium on data centers in the city.
What we're watching: Whether new data center restrictions in Pennsylvania slow the pipeline.