Can Amazon’s $20B Investment Survive Pennsylvania’s Red Tape?

We've reported, with some excitement, the recent news about a host of new AI data centers coming to the Keystone State (Pennsylvania), including several large projects in southwestern PA and Amazon's big announcement last week about spending $20 billion on at least three data centers in the eastern part of the state (see Amazon Investing $20 Billion to Build AI Data Centers in Eastern PA). Most of these facilities will use electricity generated by Marcellus gas-fired power plants. After years of no new gas-fired power plant announcements due to concerns over the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax being imposed by Democrat governors, suddenly, power plant (and data center) builders either believe RGGI won't happen, or they're willing to pay obscenely high taxes. Whatever the case, it's good news for PA. However, there's something else besides a carbon tax that may block some of these recently announced projects from ever getting built: PA's massive red tape.

---

To view this content, log into your member account. (Not a member? Join Today!)