We Are Putting Our PA Green Amendment to Work!
Tell the Governor Shapiro You Want an Open House on Data Centers.
Organizations and individuals from across Pennsylvania are invited to sign a letter to Governor Shapiro urging his participation in a statewide virtual town hall to share concerns about the fast proliferation of AI Data Centers across PA. The Better Path Coalition and No False Climate Solutions PA – coalitions that Green Amendments For The Generations is a part of – are organizing the event.
We believe that the people of Pennsylvania deserve a chance to make statements to, and ask questions of, Governor Shapiro on this critical topic. The Governor has advanced initiatives that would undermine local authority to protect communities from AI data centers. He should hear what people from across Pennsylvania think about that.
State legislators are also being invited to attend. So even if the Governor isn’t interested, there will be government leaders in attendance who are, and who can take your input and use it to inform their stance and leadership on this major threat to our communities and environment
Our original request to the Governor for available dates (so we could plan around his schedule) was rejected. We were told that the schedulers don’t provide such lists. So on Tuesday, February 17, we submitted a new request, this time listing every date in March and asking them to pick one.
We are circulating this letter in the hopes of showing Governor Shapiro how much people care about this issue, and to get him to reconsider and to join us. If he decides not to join, we have some other clever ways we will undertaking this town hall so your voices and concerns can still be heard.
Federal Endangerment Finding Re Climate Withdrawn — Green Amendments For The Generations Makes Clear that PA is NOT Off The Hook
February 12, 2026, the federal government eliminated its endangerment finding—a foundational step taken years ago to support nationwide reduction of GHGs, particularly as the result of vehicle emissions. Green Amendments For The Generations and our sister organization Delaware Riverkeeper Network write to the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to urge strong state action. Our letter makes clear that regardless of where the federal government ultimately lands in the battle to regulate climate-changing emissions, Pennsylvania government officials and agencies have — by virtue of the Pennsylvania Green Amendment constitutional mandate — their own independent duty to mitigate climate change.
The letter sent today makes clear that Pennsylvania’s Green Amendment – Article I, Section 27 of the state constitution — requires Pennsylvania Agencies to use their statutory and regulatory authority to abate and remedy climate change. This duty exists even if the Commonwealth is not the cause of environmental degradation, and even if the actions of the PA Agencies alone are unsuccessful in preserving the public natural resources from climate change.
You can read the letter here.
Cookie Cutter Data Center Ordinance – Not Good for PA Communities or Environment
Update to the Update — 2.27.26 … IT”S BACK
Legislators made a few slight modifications and have reproposed the bill with pretty much the same approach. Green Amendments For The Generations has made clear our continuing opposition. The vote is set for March 2.
UPDATE!
All the calls and outreach worked. The scheduled vote was cancelled. We are expecting an amended version to come forth, but for now, and by working together, we achieved a major victory! Here’s a great news article laying it all out.
Pennsylvania legislators are considering a proposal to amend the state Municipalities Planning Code with a model zoning ordinance for data centers written by the industry friendly Department of Community & Economic Development. There are many concerns. Among them is that the ordinance will be designed to benefit data center developers rather than to protect communities and our environment.
Green Amendments For The Generations has joined forces with Delaware Riverkeeper Network to submit a comment of opposition. We are also joining with our colleagues at the Better Path Coalition and Food and Water Watch to encourage others to speak out.
Learn more about the proposal and how you can engage here.
Talen Data Center, Montour County — NO
In Pennsylvania, Talen Energy Supply, LLC (Talen Energy) is asking the Montour County Commissioners to rezone over 800 acres of land from zoning as agricultural, public/semi public or rural residential uses to an industrial use designation. In response to strong community advocacy, Talen Energy confirmed that the change in zoning was needed to support a planned data center.
Very little information has been made available about the actual data center itself.
After a robust hearing in November, 2025, the Montour County Planning Commission recommended that the rezoning request be rejected by the County Commissioners who are the final arbiter of the petition.
The County Commissioners invited written comment and held a hearing on January 23, 2026. Despite it being a work week, work day hearing (friday starting at 9:30 am), the room was full and the testimony was powerful.
Green Amendments For The Generations submitted written comment urging rejection of the rezoning request and joined the community in offering testimony at the hearing.
On February 10th, the Montour County Commissioners unanimously voted NO to rezone approx. 1000 acres of farmland to industrial to allow for a data center and powerplant proposal by Talen Energy and Amazon. Community member after community member described this battle as David vs. Goliath, and they couldn’t be more right. Pennsylvania’s Green Amendment, Article 1 Section 27, was mentioned several times at the earlier commissioners hearing in January.
