Pennsylvania

Every township, borough, city, and town in Pennsylvania writes its own zoning. Select a county to see how its municipalities regulate data centers.

State Profile

Why Data Center Ordinances Matter

Opposition to data centers has grown quickly in Pennsylvania. In a Quinnipiac University poll taken July 9 to 13, 2026, 74 percent of registered voters said they would oppose building an AI data center in their community,1 and a March 2026 Muhlenberg College poll found that 64 percent of adults saw data centers as a crisis or a problem.2 At hearings and public meetings, residents have raised the same concerns again and again: noise and heavy water use that could draw down wells and local supplies,345 new power lines and grid demand that could raise electricity bills for other ratepayers,56 and air pollution from backup generators.7 They have also asked that data centers be kept away from homes, schools, and farmland,58 and that the public not be kept in the dark by non-disclosure agreements between officials and developers,9 while a state lawmaker has proposed requiring money to be set aside to remove a facility if it closes.10

Pennsylvania municipalities cannot ban data centers outright. Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a zoning ordinance must allow every lawful use somewhere, and an ordinance that leaves a use out entirely can be challenged as exclusionary.

That is why each municipality needs a data center ordinance. When zoning is silent, a developer can challenge it and may win the right to build on the site it chose. An ordinance lets the municipality decide where data centers may go and set standards for noise, water, setbacks, and other impacts.

Sources
  1. Quinnipiac University Poll, Pennsylvania voters, July 9 to 13, 2026
  2. Pennsylvania Capital-Star, “In Pennsylvania, the data center wars hit the ballot box,” August 6, 2026 (Muhlenberg College poll)
  3. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania voters and data centers, July 15, 2026
  4. CBS 21 News, Granville Township supervisors reject data center application, July 20, 2026
  5. Lancaster Farming, Center for Rural Pennsylvania data center hearing, July 30, 2026
  6. Spotlight PA (Inside Climate News), Pennsylvania activists urge lawmakers to help curb soaring electric bills, June 11, 2026
  7. WHYY, Amazon backup generators at the Falls Township data center site, July 15, 2026
  8. Pennsylvania Capital-Star (Inside Climate News), Pennsylvania community groups urge officials to restrict data center development, October 17, 2025
  9. Spotlight PA, data center non-disclosure agreements and public records, August 19, 2026
  10. Erie News Now, state lawmaker proposes data center decommissioning standards, September 9, 2026

Tracker Coverage

Coverage
  • Covered
  • Not Yet Covered

All Counties

Select a column heading to sort. Select a county to see it on the map.

About This Tracker

The Pennsylvania Data Center Ordinance Tracker is an independent project maintained by David Olson. For every municipality in Pennsylvania, it records whether a data center ordinance has been adopted or proposed, what that ordinance requires, and where residents can read it, so that residents and local officials can compare approaches across the state.

Every entry is drawn from public records, including zoning ordinances and amendments, meeting minutes and agendas, county planning commission records, and local news reports. Each entry lists its sources and the date it was last verified. Ordinances are rated from their full text against the 52 criteria of the Tracker Standard, and David Olson reviews the ratings.

The tracker is updated every two weeks, and each county page shows the date it was last updated. If an entry is out of date or incorrect, please . You can also email corrections@padatacenterordinances.org. Corrections are reviewed within 30 days. The tracker is not affiliated with any government agency, developer, or advocacy group, and it is not legal advice.

Learn More

How Ratings Work

Learn how each ordinance is scored and what each rating means.

Read How Ratings Work →

Tracker Standard

Read the rules that guide how every entry is researched and rated.

Read the Standard →

Ordinance Resources

Find model ordinances, guidance, and the strongest adopted examples for drafting a data center ordinance.

See Resources →

Submit a Correction

Let us know if an entry is out of date or incorrect.

Submit a Correction

Tell us what is out of date or incorrect. A link to a supporting document, such as an ordinance or meeting minutes, helps us confirm the change. Corrections are reviewed within 30 days.