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HB 2515

An Act providing for commercial data center transparency regarding energy use, water use and noise pollution; imposing duties on the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation and the Office of Attorney General; and imposing civil penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Banta and 7 co-sponsors

The bill imposes transparency requirements on commercial data centers by mandating water-use documentation for permits, utility cost and capacity disclosures on request, and PUC ov

Referred to Energy
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2515

Overview

HB 2515 (Session 2025-2026, Pennsylvania) proposes commercial data center transparency requirements related to energy use, water use, and noise pollution. The bill would impose duties on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Office of Attorney General (OAG), as well as create responsibilities for electric distribution companies (utilities) and state regulatory oversight. It includes provisions on obtaining data during permitting and with utility cost transparency, and contemplates civil penalties for noncompliance.

Purpose and intent

  • Increase transparency around the environmental and operational impacts of commercial data centers.
  • Require state agencies, utilities, and potentially other entities to disclose and assess energy use, water use, and related costs.
  • Provide regulatory oversight to ensure data centers’ resource use is accounted for in permitting and cost allocation decisions.
  • Enable better public and governmental scrutiny of resource demands from large-scale data center projects.

Key provisions

  1. Permitting and documentation (water use focus)

    • Commonwealth permitting authorities may require documentation related to water use for commercial data center projects as a condition of final action on permits, approvals, certifications, or authorizations materially related to water use.
    • Documentation must be submitted as part of the final Commonwealth action process and may be conditioned on permit approval.

  2. Utility cost transparency and commission oversight (electricity and distribution)

    • A serving electric distribution company must provide upon written request from a municipality or Commonwealth permitting authority:
      • The anticipated peak demand for the commercial data center (in megawatts).
      • A general description of distribution facilities reasonably anticipated to be required primarily to serve the data center.
      • How the costs of such facilities are expected to be allocated under tariffs, service agreements, or commission-approved cost allocation mechanisms.
      • Whether any of these costs may be recovered from retail electric customers other than the data center customer, and, if so, a general description of the affected customer classes.
    • The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) would oversee these processes under its existing authority (referenced to 66 Pa.C.S. 20260 and related provisions), ensuring compliance and integration with tariff and cost allocation mechanisms.

  3. Agency and enforcement framework

    • The bill designates duties across DEP, DOT, and OAG, though specific statutory text detailing each agency’s exact powers, enforcement tools, or penalties is not fully captured in the provided excerpt. The title indicates the imposition of civil penalties, suggesting potential enforcement for noncompliance.

Persons and entities affected

  • Commercial data centers: Subject to transparency and potential cost allocation disclosures; may face scrutiny of water, energy, and noise-related information and associated costs.
  • Electric distribution companies: Required to produce detailed, data-driven statements on demand, facility needs, and cost allocations upon request.
  • Municipalities and Commonwealth permitting authorities: Have authority to request information and leverage it during permitting decisions.
  • Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC): Oversees compliance, data collection, and cost-allocation processes related to utility statements.
  • State agencies (DEP, DOT, OAG): Expected to implement duties related to environmental, transportation, and enforcement aspects of the bill.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill contemplates that documentation related to water use can be required as a condition of final Commonwealth action on permits or authorizations.
  • Utility information is to be provided upon written request, with oversight and potential enforcement managed by the PUC.
  • The exact effective date, reporting timelines, and penalty structure are not provided in the excerpt; the bill’s title indicates civil penalties, implying enforcement mechanisms would follow enactment and rulemaking.

Summary

HB 2515 seeks to enhance transparency around the resource demands of commercial data centers in Pennsylvania. It would require authorities to condition certain water-related permitting actions on documentation, compel utilities to disclose anticipated peak load, distribution needs, and cost allocations upon request, and place oversight with the PUC to ensure compliance. The bill affects data centers, utilities, state and local permitting authorities, and consumer ratepayers through potential cross-subsidization considerations. Civil penalties are anticipated for noncompliance, though specific penalty amounts and processes would be established in the final statute and accompanying regulations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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