(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A pedestrian passes the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Nov. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

(Reported by Danielle Smith, Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) About 150 Pennsylvanians representing around 15 advocacy groups are organizing a rally at the Capitol in Harrisburg this Wednesday (4/22). They plan to protest the tech industry’s growing influence in data centers for artificial intelligence and urge legislators to safeguard residents and the environment. Mary Collier with Pennsylvania Stands Up says that they’re meeting with lawmakers to push for policies that protect residents, affordability, and natural resources.Collier says a new report out Wednesday details Big Tech’s growing footprint in Pennsylvania and its impact on local communities. She adds the group’s lobby day also highlights state Senator Katie Muth, who plans to introduce a Moratorium on Construction of New Data Centers bill, which will protect local communities from corporate exploitation by establishing a statewide three-year moratorium on hyperscale data center development.