Wake Up! The Left is Peddling Delusional Data Center Panic
MDN first tipped you back in July 2025 that the Democrat anti-fracking movement in Pennsylvania (and beyond) was rapidly becoming anti-data center (see PA Antis Hate Fossil Fuels, Shale Drilling, and Now…Data Centers). The trend blossomed, with national and international groups joining the chorus against data centers. Unfortunately, even some Republicans are now falling for the lie in places like Pennsylvania (see Some PA Republican Legislators Lose Their Way on Data Center Issue). There is zero doubt that the anti-fracking crowd is now anti-data center, and it’s threatening our national security. It’s time for the U.S. to wake up and pull our collective heads out of our collective rear ends. Read More “Wake Up! The Left is Peddling Delusional Data Center Panic”
The oil and gas industry not only benefits from the AI (data center) sector by supplying natural gas to power plants, it also benefits by *using* AI in its operations. Like just about every other business on the planet, O&G companies are now using (embedding) AI into their business. Here’s a startling statistic: In 2025, O&G companies worldwide spent a cumulative estimated $25 billion on AI, according to Rystad Energy. By 2035, that number will be an estimated $50 billion per year. Amazing! Are you looking for a hot hot hot job? Look at AI in O&G. 
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro introduced new “Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards” for data center developers yesterday. These standards aim to tie tax breaks to sustainability and transparency, addressing concerns about energy affordability, pollution, noise, and overall quality of life. Under Shapiro’s GRID plan, data center developers seeking tax exemptions would need to demonstrate that they meet requirements to protect energy affordability, promote transparency and community engagement, support workforce development, and safeguard the environment. Projects would also be required to incorporate so-called clean energy sources and adhere to strict efficiency and environmental protection measures. 
Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks/Lehigh) and Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne) have introduced legislation in Pennsylvania to address the rapid expansion of data centers. Their proposed bills aim to repeal a 2021 tax exemption that incentivizes data centers to locate in the state. The bills would also empower municipalities to implement an 18-month moratorium on data center development applications. With all due respect, these two Republicans have lost their way and are out of their minds. 
The Warren, OH, City Council introduced legislation to impose a permanent ban on new data centers, citing concerns about water supply, wastewater infrastructure, utility costs, and the city’s residential character. Sponsored by Democrats, the proposed ordinance argues that data centers place unsustainable demands on city systems, particularly following a costly wastewater plant upgrade. One Council Democrat drew parallels between data centers and past fracking “disappointments” in the region, emphasizing water as the community’s most critical resource. 
We’re facing a full-blown crisis in building new AI data centers — at least in Pennsylvania (and in many other states). How do we know? Read this story published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday: 
Yesterday was the day. The third AI Energy Conference (which sold out) was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe in Canonsburg, PA. One of the speakers, Travis Wright, Vice President of Energy and Sustainability for QTS, said that everyday smartphone use depends on data centers. They are essential infrastructure for modern life. Blackstone-owned QTS, which operates major facilities nationwide and is planning a 1,700-acre data center campus in Luzerne County (Wilkes-Barre area), sees Appalachia as a promising market due to its workforce, energy resources, and suitability for AI-focused facilities. 
Last November, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a Tentative Order by a 3-2 vote, proposing a statewide model tariff (tax) to manage the growing impact of large-load customers, such as AI data centers, on the electric grid (see 
UGI Corporation’s UGI Energy Services and Prime Data Centers yesterday announced a strategic partnership to develop natural gas supply infrastructure in Pennsylvania’s northern tier for a proposed gas-fired power facility serving future hyperscale data center operations. Under the deal, UGIES will sell Prime some of its property while retaining about 15 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of underground storage capacity and related oil and gas rights. Prime’s gas demand is expected to exceed 100,000 dekatherms per day (100 MMcf/d) within three to five years. A major new customer for PA Marcellus gas! 
Three weeks ago, the Trump Department of Energy announced it is moving forward with funding for five of the original seven Biden-awarded hydrogen hub projects, spending $5 billion of the originally allotted $7 billion (see 
We had to do a double-take when we spotted an editorial, written by the editors of the liberal Bloomberg News service, running under the title, “Data Centers Aren’t the Enemy — They’re the Future.” Bloomberg’s editorial board argues that proposed restrictions or moratoriums on data centers would be a major mistake, given their growing importance to cloud computing, AI, and the broader economy. Do you like using Facebook? Do you search Google? Do you have an Amazon Alexa in your home that you use with voice commands? Do you talk to your cell phone with voice commands? That all comes from data centers (some of it AI). If you block data centers, you block the internet. It’s that simple. 
Data centers are driving significant growth in natural gas demand in the Midwest, leading to several pipeline expansion projects. East Daley Analytics is tracking 24 GW of potential power generation capacity from Midwest data centers, which could create over 5 Bcf/d of new gas demand in a high-case scenario. The region’s appeal stems from ample land, water resources, and low-cost electricity, with Illinois and Wisconsin showing the largest potential growth (if the Democrat machine in those states doesn’t block it). To meet this demand, over 3.2 Bcf/d of pipeline expansions are planned for six different pipelines. While some of the pipelines flow molecules from other regions, they ALL flow at least some Marcellus/Utica molecules. We have the list of pipelines looking to expand below. 