allenwood pnk data center ncpa - 1

An aerial view of the site of PNK's proposed data center in Gregg Township, Union County.

Harrisburg, Pa. — The governor has signed an order making it legally binding for data center developers to meet strict new requirements, including approval from local communities, before building in Pennsylvania.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05 Tuesday, Aug. 18, making his Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards legally binding requirements for data center developers operating in Pa., reversing a voluntary certification approach announced in May and giving local communities veto power over proposed projects.

Originally published on northcentralpa.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.