Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro faced significant public opposition as he navigates the complexities of his $20 billion economic development deal with Amazon, announced last year for two data centers focused on cloud computing and artificial intelligence. In response to growing community resistance regarding energy demands and environmental impacts, Shapiro introduced the Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards, aimed at holding developers accountable while still prioritizing measures to cut red tape. This initiative reflects a crucial balance as companies increasingly prioritize expedited permitting and clear regulations when selecting locations for major projects, highlighting the state’s need to attract investment while addressing local concerns.

Amazon: Amazon is a leading technology company operating in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and related infrastructure. It is developing large-scale data centers in Pennsylvania as part of a major state economic development initiative. The project has drawn public scrutiny over local impacts such as energy and infrastructure demands.
Labrynth: Labrynth is a company that applies AI to track and improve permitting efficiency for governments and businesses. It created the Red Tape Index to measure progress on reducing regulatory delays. The firm supports efforts to make states more attractive destinations for investment through better predictability in approvals.
Rick Siger: Rick Siger serves as Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development. He oversees initiatives to reduce regulatory barriers, including faster permit processing and a Fast Track program for large projects. Siger emphasizes that new data center guardrails provide clear rules without adding unnecessary layers of regulation.
David Ricks: David Ricks is the CEO of Eli Lilly. He selected Pennsylvania for a major manufacturing investment, citing the state’s rapid permitting processes, available land, and supportive ecosystem. Ricks noted these factors helped the company choose the location among hundreds of competing sites.
Josh Shapiro: Josh Shapiro is the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania seeking re-election in 2026. He announced a major data center project with Amazon and subsequently introduced strict standards for data center developers to ensure accountability on energy, transparency, and environmental issues. His approach balances economic priorities with addressing community opposition ahead of potential higher office ambitions.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania is a U.S. state in the Northeast with a focus on economic development and business attraction. Under Governor Josh Shapiro, it has pursued major infrastructure projects including data centers while implementing measures to streamline permitting and licensing processes. The state aims to improve its reputation for speed and predictability in business approvals amid community concerns over large developments.
Stuart Lacey: Stuart Lacey is the founder and CEO of Labrynth, a firm that uses AI to measure permitting times. He works with governments and businesses to reduce red tape and views streamlining approvals as a nonpartisan priority for economic progress. Lacey’s company provides data for studies such as CNBC’s state business rankings.
Tom Stringer: Tom Stringer is an economic development expert at Stringer Site Selection and Incentives in New York. He advises companies across industries on location decisions, highlighting speed to market and ready sites as key factors. Stringer notes that states with pre-permitted infrastructure and predictable processes are preferred for new developments.
Stacy Garrity: Stacy Garrity is Pennsylvania’s Republican State Treasurer and the party’s candidate for governor in 2026. She has criticized Josh Shapiro’s handling of data center projects and called for a pause on major developments. Garrity highlights community concerns over issues like energy use, noise, and land impacts in her public statements.
Larry Gigerich: Larry Gigerich is managing executive director of Ginovus in Indianapolis and chairman of the Site Selectors Guild. He observes growing community resistance to economic development projects, including but not limited to data centers. Gigerich advises that early screening now factors in areas pushing back on new initiatives.

{“State Strategy”: “Pennsylvania is implementing permitting reforms and clear development standards to attract investment while maintaining community accountability and balancing economic priorities.”, “Community Opposition”: “Public opinion in Pennsylvania reflects increasing resistance to data centers due to concerns about energy demands, water usage, noise, zoning, and the impact on farmland.”, “Business Location Factors”: “Companies are focusing on speed to market, pre-permitted sites, and predictable permitting processes when choosing locations for large projects such as data centers and manufacturing facilities.”}