HB 2533
An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, in zoning, providing for optional moratorium on filing or consideration of new applications for high impact data centers.
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill allows Pennsylvania municipalities to temporarily pause the review and approval of new applications for large data centers, known as ‘high impact data centers.’ Municipalities can impose a moratorium lasting up to 18 months while they conduct planning studies and consider zoning changes related to these facilities. The bill outlines specific requirements for the moratorium, including public hearings and the potential for waivers for applicants facing hardship.
Key provisions
- Municipalities can impose a temporary moratorium on high impact data center applications.
- The moratorium can last up to 18 months.
- The moratorium cannot prohibit consideration of unrelated documents or affect existing data centers.
- Municipalities must conduct planning activities during the moratorium, such as infrastructure assessments and community impact evaluations.
- A process is established for applicants to request waivers if a moratorium would cause undue hardship.
- The ordinance implementing the moratorium must include findings supporting its necessity and relationship to planning activities.
- Consultation with county planning agencies is required.
- The bill defines ‘critical IT load’ and ‘high impact data center’ for clarity.
Who is affected
- Pennsylvania Municipalities
- Developers of data centers
- Local planning commissions
- Residents of municipalities
- Electric utilities
Notable changes
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