--- title: "Pennsylvania governor signs order restricting data center development" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-18T18:46:33.243Z" source_reported: "2026-08-18T17:41:48.273Z" updated: "2026-08-18T18:46:33.243Z" trust_score: 65 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T18:30:34.526122+00:00" --- # Pennsylvania governor signs order restricting data center development *Josh Shapiro’s executive action requires local approvals for state permits and removes projects from fast-track programmes* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 65 of 100, higher is better. Five outlets covered the order; Inquirer provided full details. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes missing; some repetition in Inquirer report. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines overstate impact; body is measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Josh Shapiro signed an executive order on 18 August 2026 requiring local approvals for state permits for data center projects, effectively blocking many developments. - The order removes data centers from Pennsylvania’s fast-track permitting programme and mandates projects bring their own electricity generation. - Projects must sign legally binding agreements on transparency, environmental standards, and community benefits to proceed. - No right-rated outlet carried the story, leaving the policy shift unreported on that side of the spectrum. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order on 18 August 2026 that restricts data center development in the state. The order requires local approvals for state permits, which may block many projects from moving forward. It also removes data centers from the state’s fast-track permitting programme, including those planned by Amazon in Bucks and Luzerne Counties. The order mandates that data center projects bring their own electricity generation and cover all costs associated with increased energy usage. Projects must sign legally binding agreements on transparency, environmental standards, and community benefits, including water conservation and public notification before local approvals. The order also prohibits state agencies from signing non-disclosure agreements related to data centre projects. Shapiro’s office said the order applies to more than 100 speculative projects across Pennsylvania, though only six are under construction and ten have received at least one state-level permit. The order follows failed attempts to pass similar measures through the state’s General Assembly, which is politically divided. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story at all. None of the digests from left-rated outlets mentioned the financial impact of the order, including the removal of a sales-tax exemption for data center projects. The Inquirer’s full report was the only one to note that developers who do not agree to the order’s requirements will have their permit applications held in limbo by the Department of Environmental Protection. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T18:30:34.526122+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T19:15:19.644Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The four left-rated reports led on Shapiro’s reversal of his earlier support for data center development. The Inquirer’s full report quoted Shapiro saying the order would put "the strictest guardrails in the nation" in place to stop "predatory developers and these bad proposals from infecting our commonwealth." The report also highlighted the order’s focus on Pennsylvania’s constitutional rights to clean air and pure water, which it said had been a focus of resident opposition. - The Inquirer reported that Shapiro’s order removes Amazon’s projects from the fast-track permitting programme and requires community-benefit agreements, including promises to hire and train local employees. The NRDC digest noted the order’s requirement that projects bring their own power, including clean energy, to qualify for faster state permits. The Washington Post and NBC Philadelphia digests both mentioned the bipartisan political pressure to slow data center development. ### Centre - The centre-rated digest from Political Wire led on Shapiro’s reversal of past policies and the introduction of "more rigorous reviews" of data center projects. The digest quoted the Washington Post’s description of the projects as having "angered residents throughout the state." It did not mention the specific requirements of the order, such as local approvals or electricity generation mandates. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Business Journals](https://bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2026/08/18/shapiro-limits-data-center-development.html) — Gov. Josh Shapiro Signs Executive Order on PA Data Centers - Pittsburgh Business Times - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/08/18/pennsylvania-gov-josh-shapiro-set-order-new-limits-data-center-development) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro set to order new limits on data center development - [NRDC](https://nrdc.org/press-releases/manage-data-center-challenges-governor-shapiro-signs-executive-order-grid-principles) — To Manage Data Center Challenges, Governor Shapiro Signs Executive Order on “GRID” Principles - [Inquirer](https://inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/josh-shapiro-data-center-order-20260818.html) — Gov. Josh Shapiro expected to sign executive order restricting data center development in Pennsylvania - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/18/josh-shapiro-orders-new-limits-on-data-centers) — Josh Shapiro Orders New Limits On Data Centers - [NBC Philadelphia](https://nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pennsylvania-governor-josh-shapiro-data-centers-executive-order/4449803) — Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro to sign executive order on data centers, source says ## Questions **What does Pennsylvania’s executive order on data centers require?** The order requires local approvals for state permits, removes data centers from fast-track permitting, and mandates projects bring their own electricity generation. It also requires legally binding agreements on transparency, environmental standards, and community benefits, including water conservation and public notification before local approvals. **Why did Josh Shapiro sign the executive order on data centers?** Shapiro signed the order after failing to pass similar measures through Pennsylvania’s politically divided General Assembly. The order follows bipartisan opposition to data center projects over their environmental and energy impacts, as well as pressure from anti-data center activists. **Which outlets reported on Pennsylvania’s data center order?** The story was reported by left-rated outlets including the Inquirer, Washington Post, NRDC, and NBC Philadelphia, and by the centre-rated Political Wire. No right-rated outlet carried the story. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Pennsylvania governor signs order restricting data center development", https://mediabias.news/politics/pennsylvania-governor-signs-order-restricting-data-center-development