The No Data Centers in Philly campaign called a rally for noon today on the south apron of City Hall, calling on City Council to pass a moratorium on data center construction in Philadelphia.
The rally is the latest push from a campaign that launched in September with more than 200 people outside City Hall. The group wants Council to pause data center approvals until the city writes rules for where the facilities can go and how nearby communities are protected. Right now, the campaign says, Philadelphia has no such rules.
Two sites sit at the center of the fight. The city’s Planning Commission said in July that two properties could hold massive data centers, a 1,300 acre former refinery site in South Philadelphia known as the Bellwether District, and a city owned parcel at 2600 Grant Avenue near Northeast Philadelphia Airport. No formal data center proposals are on file for either site.
The Grant Avenue site is the one that puts the issue in the Northeast. Senia Lopez, a Northeast Philadelphia resident and organizer with 215 People’s Alliance, lives two miles from it.
“Northeast Philadelphia is often forgotten by our elected officials, but developers and Big Tech companies have not forgotten us,” Lopez said. “Big Tech is targeting Philadelphia for data centers, including a potential site two miles from my home. They see our neighborhoods as places where they can build, expand, and make money. But right now, Philadelphia has no clear rules to ensure that the people affected by these decisions have a say. A moratorium would give Philadelphia time to create protections and establish a process in which residents have real power over what gets built in our neighborhoods.”
The campaign’s concerns go beyond any one site. Organizers say data centers drive up electric bills, pollute the air and water, waste water, and power surveillance and AI systems. A petition calling for a moratorium has gathered more than 2,300 signatures, and a recent poll found 76 percent of Pennsylvania voters oppose data center construction in their communities.
The push is part of a national wave. More than 500 communities across the country have passed data center moratoriums or bans, according to the Clean Air Council. If Philadelphia passed one, it would be the largest city in the country to do so.
City Hall has moved more slowly. Mayor Cherelle Parker signed Executive Order 2026-06 on September 16, creating a Data Center Task Force to study the impacts of any future data center development. The task force has 10 members, co-led by the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Clean and Green, and it must report its findings and recommendations by June 30, 2027. The order does not authorize or approve any new data center.
Council has not acted. As of October 26, no data center bill had been introduced since Council returned in September. Council President Kenyatta Johnson has not committed to a moratorium, and his office said in September that members continue discussions on the issue.
The state has moved further than the city. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order in August that ended fast track state permits for data centers and requires local approval and developer paid energy upgrades. The state utility commission is also set to review how utility profits and data centers affect affordability.
For Northeast residents, the question is what happens at 2600 Grant Avenue while the city studies the issue. The site is city owned, near the airport, and large enough for an industrial scale facility, according to the Planning Commission. The campaign wants a pause before any developer can move on it.
Council returns for its next stated meeting on November 12.
