AGP Executive Report

Data Centers & Land Use: Butler County Farm Bureau members warned that proposed eminent-domain changes could matter for farmers as utilities seek power-line routes tied to data centers, including limits on drone use near transmission lines. Energy & Grid: Pennsylvania’s push to streamline data-center development keeps colliding with local zoning and power concerns, with Bethlehem developers pitching a 120-megawatt facility aligned to the state’s GRID standards. Privacy & Compliance: A data privacy advocate says tighter U.S. data-center rules could push sensitive AI workloads overseas. Rail & Logistics: Amtrak will add a second daily Pittsburgh–New York train in mid-November, aiming to boost passenger access and jobs. Food Industry & Safety: Lebanon County restaurant inspections flagged dirty nacho-cheese machines and other sanitation issues. Agriculture & School Meals: USDA and HHS launched “Harvest to Hallways” to connect more local farmers to school cafeterias and fund kitchen upgrades. Public Health Politics: An editorial criticizes politicization around Pennsylvania’s measles-associated deaths. Environment & Mining Legacy: A report highlights how Pennsylvania’s waste-coal industry is reshaping polluted waterways—at a cost. Invasive Species: Spotted lanternfly coverage underscores ongoing threats to Pennsylvania agriculture. Manufacturing/Workforce: A Mahoning Valley group added board members with manufacturing-workforce experience.

Healthcare Cybersecurity: Pennsylvania AG Dave Sunday warned MyChart users about a phishing scam offering a fake “MyChart Medicare Kit,” urging patients to avoid malicious links that can steal passwords and medical records. Education Policy: Allentown School District approved charter-school policy updates covering free transportation rules, enrollment limits, and board vote requirements. Food & Agriculture Markets: Cattle prices and CME trading stayed jumpy as news of added imports, border reopening, and meat-plant closures fed volatility, while Trump floated a plan to let farmers process their own food. Legal & Consumer Protection: A federal judge blocked Mylan/Lannett and others from splitting Humana generics price-fixing trial into separate phases, and Pennsylvania real-estate brokerage kickback claims moved forward. Energy & Infrastructure: Scranton officials toured Pennsylvania American Water projects after a 2024 sediment release, and Scranton Mayor Cognetti pressed DEP for a hearing on PPL’s century-old transmission-line rebuild over stormwater runoff risks. Data Centers & Local Governance: Salem Township’s data-center overlay fight continued after Sunshine Act disputes, with another meeting moving toward supervisors. Public Health Politics: Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak and two “measles-associated” deaths sparked sharp party-line controversy. Local Economy & Industry Events: The Little League World Series brought an estimated $40M to Pennsylvania’s economy and drew about 70,000 visitors to Williamsport.

Data Centers & Power Costs: Pennsylvania’s data-center fight is heating up politically and locally, with new scrutiny on power, zoning, and permitting as residents worry about electricity rates, reliability, water use, noise, and air impacts. Trade & Manufacturing: The U.S.-Canada trade war is escalating, and Pennsylvania exporters face higher tariffs on items like aluminum, lumber, and passenger vehicles—raising costs for businesses and consumers. Consumer & Food Safety: The FDA upgraded a cyclospora lettuce recall to the highest risk level and added more states to the outbreak list, including Pennsylvania. Food Supply Relief: New York’s AG-led settlement is pushing millions of eggs to regional food banks, highlighting ongoing pressure on food assistance networks. Housing/Finance: Ohio reached a $15.5M settlement with NewRez over improper “force-placed” insurance charges—an issue that can hit Pennsylvania borrowers too. Workforce & Skills: PennWest University named an interim president, signaling leadership continuity for campuses across the state. Energy Affordability Politics: Local leaders are tying rising energy bills to federal rollbacks and data-center expansion, arguing affordability is the core issue. Business/Legal: Securities-law deadlines are circulating for investors in Flotek Industries (FTK), keeping corporate litigation on the radar.

Data Centers & Power: Delaware County townships are tightening zoning for data centers, with Marple proposing light-industrial limits, a 2-acre minimum, and 1,000-foot setbacks as communities push back on water use, noise, traffic, and utility costs. Meta Settlement (Youth Safety): Pennsylvania is set to receive up to $516M from Meta’s landmark $18B multistate deal over Instagram/Facebook child-safety failures, with required changes like time limits and “productive pauses.” Ag & Trade: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau leaders oppose a Trump plan to allow large ground-beef imports for 90 days without out-of-quota tariffs, calling it misguided for prices and producers. Energy Costs: A local manufacturer says electricity-saving upgrades are being wiped out by higher bills, highlighting how rising energy and fuel costs are squeezing Pennsylvania businesses. Public Health/Workforce: Pennsylvania dairy advocates are pushing the Securing Ag Workforce Act to expand H-2A options as labor shortages persist.

Data Centers & Power: TECfusions says its New Kensington, Pa. data center is live, delivering GPU capacity and pointing to Gov. Shapiro’s 2026 GRID requirements, including developer commitments to fund needed power infrastructure. Social Media & Youth Safety: Pa. is set to receive $516M from a $17.1B multistate Meta settlement over alleged addictive design on Instagram/Facebook, with potential to reach $729M over nine years. Energy & Industry Deals: Shell is reportedly shopping chemical assets, including its Monaca, Pa. polyethylene cracker, with ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell among potential suitors. Environment & Water: A Penn State study found all 91 tested Pennsylvania wells/springs stayed under federal radium limits, though six samples may relate to fracking wastewater pathways. Manufacturing & Jobs: Shapiro announced a $2.1M investment in York County to expand Gerard Daniel Worldwide manufacturing, creating 35 jobs. Public Opinion: A Franklin & Marshall poll finds 79% of Pa. voters oppose data centers in their community and 84% want tighter federal regulation of AI. Food & Supply Chain: Food banks across Pennsylvania report rising demand tied to SNAP cuts and broader economic pressure.

Big Tech & Youth Safety: Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday says Meta’s $17.1B multistate settlement will bring major changes to Facebook and Instagram for users under 18, including a daily 2-hour limit, nighttime blocks, stronger age checks, and limits on school-hour notifications; Pennsylvania’s expected share is at least $516M and up to $729M, pending judge approval. Data Centers & Local Power: A new wave of opposition continues as residents and groups challenge Pennsylvania data center approvals and zoning rules, including an appeal in Throop arguing the ordinance favors private interests; meanwhile, national reporting warns up to half of planned U.S. data centers face delays or cancellations. Agriculture & Food Supply: USDA is stepping in for Lake Erie’s Concord grape industry after a major processor exit, while Pennsylvania farm and agritourism leaders debate how to streamline regulations as rural tours grow. Housing & Affordability: Pennsylvania will build a searchable database tracking subsidized affordable-housing units and when rent restrictions expire, aiming to prevent sudden rent hikes or displacement. Consumer & Food Recalls: FDA updated a jasmine white rice recall affecting Pennsylvania, and a separate donut recall on Amazon warns about undeclared milk for allergy sufferers. Weather & Community Services: Tornado recovery resources were highlighted in Lancaster County, and a flood watch is in effect for the Philly region Thursday.

Data Centers & Power Costs: A new poll finds 6 in 10 Pennsylvania voters oppose building AI data centers, adding fuel to the gubernatorial fight as Gov. Shapiro pushes GRID standards meant to keep grid upgrades from landing on households. Permitting Backlash: The EPA moves to curb public input on data center air-permit reviews, a change critics say could shut communities out before construction starts. Local Governance: Allegheny County Council weighs a bill that could ban data centers on county-owned properties, while multiple towns and residents keep pressing noise, property-value, and power-bill concerns. Energy & Industry Deals: Shell is reportedly shopping its U.S. chemical assets, including Pennsylvania’s Monaca complex, with ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell named among potential buyers. Logistics: A. Duie Pyle earns a Quest for Quality Award for a 37th straight year, recognized across multiple freight and logistics categories. Food Safety: Pennsylvania restaurant inspections in Berks County show a mix of passes and violations, including temperature control and sanitation issues. Public Safety & Environment: PA DEP sues a Center Township residents association over an unsafe dam that wasn’t properly inspected or repaired. Health & Research: Mineralys Therapeutics (Radnor) will participate in Wells Fargo’s healthcare conference; Delaware State joins a $21.5M NSF AI institute for human-AI cooperation in health care. Trade Watch: Canada announces retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, escalating the U.S.-Canada trade war that could ripple into Pennsylvania supply chains.

Data Centers & Power Reliability: The U.S. Department of Energy ordered PJM and Constellation to keep 760 MW at Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Generating Station available through Nov. 20 as load rises, including data-center demand, while more generation retires. Local Permitting Pushback: Pennsylvania’s data-center fight keeps spilling into town halls and courts, with residents citing noise, water, and air impacts as state rules expand local authority over projects. Gov. Shapiro Clean-Energy Push: Shapiro’s Solar for Schools program is backing school solar installs statewide, with Steelton-Highspire highlighted for a new array and projected long-term savings. Workforce & Training: The PA Department of Education awarded $3.5M in PA Smart grants to 17 organizations, including $140,000 for Farrell Area School District to expand advanced manufacturing, construction, digital tech, and energy career pathways. Consumer Protection & Tech: PA Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snapchat over alleged teen safeguards and “addictive” design, adding to his broader social media enforcement. Industrial Services: Tri-State Laser Cleaning announced mobile industrial laser cleaning across NJ, NY, and PA for rust, coatings, and surface prep. Public Health: Pennsylvania reported two measles deaths, both unvaccinated, as confirmed cases climb statewide. Energy Investment: Equinor agreed to spend $940M for a stake in the Lackawanna Energy Center in Jessup, citing growing electricity needs tied to data centers.

Banking Deal: Valley National Bancorp agreed to buy Providence Financial Corporation, adding a 14-branch Chicagoland footprint and about $1.6B in assets to accelerate retail and small-business growth. Medical Devices & Healthcare Ops: Synchrocare opened Pennsylvania franchise territories to expand medical device distribution statewide, while Miller-Keystone Blood Center held a ribbon-cutting for a renovated Reading donor center with updated donor areas and energy-efficient upgrades. Clean Energy Financing: Union and Northumberland counties will host a free session on PA C-PACE, aimed at helping commercial property owners fund energy and eligible building improvements. Food & Agriculture: USDA launched “Harvest to Hallways” to bring more local, American-grown food into school cafeterias, and it will buy surplus Concord grape juice to support Western New York and Pennsylvania growers after contract cancellations. Energy & Industry Watch: AAA reports Western Pennsylvania gas prices up to about $4.349/gal, and a new feasibility study weighs whether a Route 11 natural gas pipeline could unlock long-term industrial development in the Shale Crescent. Data Centers Backlash: A broader look at the election-year fight highlights why communities are pushing back on AI data centers—costs, water use, and transparency are driving the push. Legal/Markets: Ohio’s Supreme Court rejected Dollar Bank’s challenge to the state’s financial institution tax refund claim. Securities Litigation: A Simply Good Foods class action was filed over alleged misstatements tied to its OWYN strategy.

Cannabis & Employment: Jushi reached a settlement in a Pennsylvania age-bias lawsuit tied to a former plant controller’s claim she was replaced by a younger worker. School Construction: Warwick High School’s long renovation is nearing completion, with students returning Aug. 26–27. Energy Capital for Small Firms: DOE and SBA signed an agreement creating an Energy Initiative to help energy- and tech-focused small businesses access private investment funds, with Pennsylvania lawmakers on hand. Food Service & Local Supply Chains: USDA and HHS launched “Harvest to Hallways,” aiming to boost local food procurement in schools and fund school kitchen upgrades. Chemicals M&A Watch: Shell’s U.S. chemical assets drew interest from suitors including Exxon and LyondellBasell, with potential bids reported up to $8B. Data Centers Backlash: New reporting highlights growing voter and political pushback to data centers, including concerns over water use and energy bills. Water & PFAS: Pennsylvania American Water applied additional PFAS settlement credits to customer bills, bringing total credits to $36.89 per account. Rail Expansion: Amtrak will add a second daily Pittsburgh-to-New York train via Harrisburg and Philadelphia starting mid-November. Agriculture & Invasive Pests: Box tree moth quarantine expanded in Maryland, and Pennsylvania continues to track invasive spotted lanternfly activity. Local Business Growth: North Metal & Chemical bought a Tempe industrial facility as it expands its chemical operations.

Data Center Politics: Sen. John Fetterman pushed back on “AI doomsdaying,” arguing U.S. overreaction helps China, as Pennsylvania and other states tighten local control over data center growth. Local Labor & Governance: In Philadelphia, the head of a major painters union ordered a review and trustee takeover of a local labor council, citing declining membership, pay concerns, and transparency issues. Defense Manufacturing: A battery-powered small Army drone set a world endurance record using motors assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, underscoring domestic supply-chain push. Critical Minerals & Defense Industry: Deep Sea Minerals Corp. will attend the DIB Accelerator 2026 in Philadelphia to connect defense and industry on secure critical-mineral sourcing. Food Safety Oversight: Delaware County restaurant inspections flagged issues ranging from missing licenses and improper sanitizer use to expired or unlabeled food dates. Construction & Infrastructure: PennDOT scheduled lane closures for Route 73 bridge work in Skippack Township, replacing a 1935 structure with a new single-span bridge. Biotech Manufacturing Quality: Cornell researchers isolated live H5N1 from a fetal bovine serum lot, raising biosafety and lab quality-control scrutiny while noting heat inactivation worked.

Data Centers & Power Politics: Pennsylvania’s data-center fight keeps heating up as Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration tightens rules and localities push back over noise, traffic, water use, and who pays for grid upgrades; the backlash is now a national campaign issue, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also pausing new projects while requiring developers to disclose water use and prove they won’t raise consumer power costs. Manufacturing & Environment: Pennsylvania DEP ordered Sherwin-Williams to address alleged air-pollution violations at its Rochester, Beaver County plant after neighbors reported strong chemical odors, including nail-polish-remover smells, tied to missing emissions-control equipment. Agriculture & Disaster Aid: USDA expanded disaster designations for Pennsylvania fruit farms hit by the late-spring freeze, unlocking low-interest recovery loans and faster claims; the state budget also includes $10M in recovery grants. Food Safety: Multi-state E. coli and Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has sickened 55 people (4 hospitalized), with Pennsylvania among affected states; separate dog-food recalls also hit Fromm and Oma’s Pride over metal contamination concerns. Invasive Species: Spotted lanternfly was confirmed in Massachusetts’ Swampscott, widening the pest’s range and raising monitoring stakes for trees and vineyards. Sports & Local Economy: Washington’s Freedom 250 IndyCar race drew major crowds and spotlighted the event’s economic and tourism pull, while Kyle Kirkwood’s win tightened the IndyCar title chase.

Stormwater Stress: Philadelphia’s century-old stormwater system is buckling again as heavy rain returns, with clogged inlets and thousands of cleaning requests highlighting how quickly basements and streets can flood. Energy & Power Markets: Equinor agreed to buy a major stake in Pennsylvania’s Lackawanna Energy Centre, a 1,483 MW gas plant, as PJM demand grows with electrification and data centers. Data Center Backlash Politics: Pennsylvania’s data-center fight keeps heating up, with Sen. John Fetterman pushing back on “AI doomsdaying” while Shapiro’s limits and local zoning battles intensify. Food Safety: Everything Sprouts recalled certain alfalfa sprouts tied to an E. coli and Salmonella outbreak reaching 55 illnesses across 15 states; separate dog-food recalls also hit Pennsylvania. Agriculture Aid: Shapiro is opening grant applications for fruit farmers hit by the spring freeze, with losses estimated at $150M–$200M. Infrastructure Updates: PennDOT is rolling out real-time travel tools for Little League World Series traffic and warning of I-80 stoppages tied to blasting work. Defense Manufacturing: A Tobyhanna Army Depot–assembled small drone set a new endurance record using domestic-made motors. Local Business: A new ice cream and pastry shop opened in North Catasauqua, adding to Lehigh Valley’s small retail churn.

Data Centers & Local Control: Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration launched a new pa.gov/YourVoiceOnDataCenters site and map to collect public feedback on data center proposals, tied to “GRID” standards covering energy affordability, community engagement, workforce/economic development, transparency, and environmental protection, with local approval playing a bigger role. Permitting Backlash: Salem Township in Luzerne County is weighing three major campuses, including an AWS AI/cloud campus near the Susquehanna nuclear plant, as the state’s broader data-center rules and local zoning fights intensify. Food Safety: Federal health officials are investigating a multistate E. coli and Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Minnesota’s Everything Sprouts LLC; 55 people in 15 states are sick, with FDA urging consumers not to eat recalled sprouts. Energy Costs: GasBuddy reports show Pennsylvania fuel prices easing in mid-August, with Somerset regular at $3.79 and Huntingdon diesel at $5.19 in the week ending Aug. 15. Labor Market: Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate fell to 3.9% in July, the first drop below 4% since Oct. 2024, as the labor force hit a record high.

Data Centers Under Pressure: Pennsylvania supervisors rejected a proposal for five large data centers near King of Prussia after residents raised concerns and officials said key plans were missing. Statewide Rules: Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order tightening data-center development, requiring local approval and removing projects from fast-track permitting. Water Costs: Pennsylvania American Water rate hikes take effect, with the utility pointing to $1.2B in planned upgrades through mid-2027. Food Safety: The FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate E. coli and Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, with 55 sickened and 4 hospitalized, including cases in Pennsylvania. Public Health Recall: Optimal Balance Pharmacy issued a nationwide recall of glutathione injections after elevated endotoxin levels were found in vials sent to 14 states. Local Industry & Growth: Lehigh County approved farmland preservation of 53 acres in Upper Milford Township, protecting agricultural land from development. Work Zone Safety: PennDOT and Pennsylvania State Police launched “Operation Yellow Jacket” to crack down on speeding and distracted driving in highway work zones.

Data Centers & AI Policy: Gov. Josh Shapiro launched a citizen feedback website tied to his new “GRID” restrictions on Pennsylvania data centers, aiming to stop “bad-faith” projects and give communities more say. The political fight is heating up: GOP challenger Stacy Garrity is demanding Shapiro return $5.7M in campaign donations she links to data center interests, while Shapiro’s team points to his executive order as a response to public backlash. Local Permitting & Community Impact: Project Gold’s developer radically revised plans in North Pocono, cutting water use and reducing the number of data centers after resident pushback. Energy & Industry Backdrop: The Three Mile Island restart effort is moving forward with massive transformer deliveries, underscoring how the AI/data-center buildout is driving new power infrastructure needs. Food Safety: CDC and FDA reported a multistate E. coli and salmonella outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts, with cases including Pennsylvania. Workforce & Economy: Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate fell to 3.9% in July, dipping below 4% for the first time in nearly two years.