The PA Chamber’s Energy & Innovation Institute maintained a strong presence at the 2026 Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, engaging directly with local officials on one of the Commonwealth’s most pressing economic and energy topics: data centers.

Throughout the conference, Institute representatives connected with municipal leaders from across Pennsylvania, including speaking with more than 1,000 township officials during the conference’s Welcome Reception. In addition, the Institute hosted a standing‑room‑only workshop for approximately 250 municipal officials titled “Data Centers: What You Need to Know.”

The workshop featured perspectives from both industry and local government leaders navigating data center development firsthand.

Robin Gorman, Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs at Homer City Redevelopment, shared details on the transformation of the former Homer City coal‑fired power plant into a natural gas facility that will generate approximately 4,500 megawatts of power—enough to supply electricity to millions of homes while also supporting major new data center investment in the region.

Jim Rodgers, Regional Development Director for Woolpert, explained how data centers function much like modern utility infrastructure—operating largely behind the scenes, having minimal impact on daily life, while delivering transformative economic benefits to host communities in terms of new careers, massive tax revenue, and additional private sector investment. You can read more by accessing this white paper, titled “In Defense of Data Center Development: How Communities Can Welcome Growth Without Sacrificing Control,” on Woolpert’s website.

Tom Connolly, a Commissioner from Swatara Township, discussed his community’s decision to welcome a data center and emphasized the importance of proactive public education to address common misconceptions and community concerns.

Victoria Herring, Economic Development Program Manager for QTS Data Centers, highlighted how QTS partners with communities by providing well‑paying careers, expanding local tax bases, and funding 100 percent of its energy costs so projects do not increase local utility bills. She also emphasized QTS’s collaboration with utilities to help build and modernize regional infrastructure.

Throughout the session, presenters referenced the PA Chamber Energy & Innovation Institute’s Data Centers Educational Toolkit—a data‑driven resource designed to help policymakers, local officials, and stakeholders understand the economic, infrastructure, and energy impacts of data center development. You can access the Data Centers Educational Toolkit on our website.