Governor Candidates Debate Data Centers
The first Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate in eight years opened Wednesday night on data centers, according to TribLive. Gov. Josh Shapiro pointed to the executive order he issued in August, which requires developers to supply their own power, pay the costs tied to their electricity use, protect air and water, and win local support before the state will consider permits. Republican challenger Stacy Garrity, the state treasurer, wants a pause so communities can update their zoning, but she did not say how long. Both answers put local zoning at the center, which is where Monroe’s data center fights have played out: Paradise and Middle Smithfield townships are due before the County Planning Commission Tuesday, and Smithfield Township’s Gateway data center hearings are Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.
The candidates also took on skill games ahead of the Oct. 13 deadline (Shapiro wants a 52 percent tax, Garrity a flat $500 a month per machine), Medicaid cuts, school choice and the new federal tax credit, measles, the state budget and the death penalty. Read our full debate recap, topic by topic: monroeunfiltered.substack.com/p/special-report-the-shapiro-garrity
