A bill by West Chester state Rep. Chris Pielli that would ban data centers from claiming public utility status cleared the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee unanimously, Pielli's office announced Tuesday, Sept. 29.

House Bill 2674 now heads to the full House for a floor vote. No date has been scheduled.

If a data center developer gained public utility status, it could override municipal zoning, seize private property through eminent domain and operate as a regulated monopoly, according to Pielli's office. Chester County townships are already drafting their own data center rules. Birmingham Township held a zoning hearing Sept. 8, East Bradford Township held one Sept. 10, and East Marlborough Township is targeting an Oct. 14 vote on a 24-page data center ordinance.

"We need to place guardrails on this issue and ensure that Pennsylvanians have a voice in where these data centers are developed," Pielli said in a statement.

Pielli, a Democrat whose district office sits on West Miner Street, cited estimates of up to 130 active data centers statewide, with 55 more proposed, planned or under construction. He said Pennsylvania energy costs have risen more than 70% since 2020, when data center construction began expanding.

The committee vote marks the second data center bill Pielli has advanced this year. In June, the House passed H.B. 2496 with bipartisan support. That bill would let municipalities impose a six-month pause on data center applications. It is now with the state Senate.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Aug. 18 adding further state-level restrictions on data centers, WITF reported. Chester County and Montgomery County have also jointly published a guide to help municipalities draft their own data center regulations, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

A Spotlight PA/Emerson College poll published in January found 42% of Pennsylvanians said they do not want a data center built in or near their community.

H.B. 2674 has no scheduled floor vote date.