HR 564

                                                 PRINTER'S NO.   3595
             THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
      HOUSE RESOLUTION
         No. 564
                                         Session of
                                           2026
INTRODUCED BY FREEMAN, VITALI, WEBSTER, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS,
   STEELE, SAPPEY, NEILSON, DONAHUE, BOROWSKI, BOYD, OTTEN,
   CIRESI, FLEMING, PIELLI, GUZMAN AND MERSKI, JUNE 10, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, JUNE 12, 2026
                          A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
2    study and issue a report on waste heat recovery in this
3    Commonwealth.
4    WHEREAS, Data centers require significant inputs of energy
5 and water to cool heat produced by daily operations; and
6    WHEREAS, The cooling operations of data centers present a
7 challenge to consumers by competing for energy and water
8 resources; and
9    WHEREAS, Waste heat recovery serves as a potential solution
10 to alleviate the negative effects of data centers by repurposing
11 waste heat produced by data centers to meet heating demands,
12 reducing the energy and water input needed for daily operations
13 of data centers; and
14    WHEREAS, Waste heat recovery has been tried and tested
15 successfully in cases domestically and in other countries; and
16    WHEREAS, The House of Representatives shall promote potential
17 solutions to alleviate the concerns of Pennsylvanians regarding
18 the topic of data centers; and
1    WHEREAS, It is necessary to investigate waste heat recovery
2 technology and how the technology can be implemented within the
3 policy environment in this Commonwealth while keeping in mind
4 economic and infrastructural barriers; therefore be it
5    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
6 State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a
7 report on waste heat recovery in this Commonwealth; and be it
8 further
9    RESOLVED, That the study include:
10(1)   An investigation into waste heat recovery technology
11    and its possible applications in this Commonwealth,
12    including:
13(i)    Mapping of district energy networks, data
14centers and planned data center developments in this
15Commonwealth.
16(ii)    Identifying opportunities for beneficial use of
17waste heat from data centers.
18(iii)    Identifying barriers to adopting waste heat
19recovery systems.
20(iv)    Evaluating best practices and policies for
21using waste heat implemented in other states, counties
22and localities.
23(v)    Assessing the estimated costs necessary to
24develop supporting infrastructure and associated
25programs.
26(vi)    Evaluating the expected economic costs and
27benefits, environmental impacts and community-level
28outcomes associated with implementing waste heat recovery
29systems.
30(vii)    Producing policy recommendations to promote
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1the adoption of waste heat recovery in data centers.
2(viii)   The applicability of waste heat recovery to
3other industries.
4(ix)   Investigating additional information that the
5Joint State Government Commission deems to be useful to
6investigate.
7(2)    Public hearings, taking testimony and conducting
8    site visits;
9 and be it further
10    RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission
11 establish an advisory committee to receive input on waste heat
12 recovery, including representatives of:
13(1)    The data center industry.
14(2)    The waste heat recovery industry.
15(3)    Gas and electric utilities.
16(4)    Pennsylvania-based institutions of higher education.
17(5)    Local governments.
18(6)    State agencies.
19(7)    Environmental advocacy groups.
20(8)    Organized labor.
21(9)    Potential consumers of waste heat.
22(10)    The public.
23(11)    Any additional stakeholders identified by the Joint
24    State Government Commission;
25 and be it further
26    RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission submit a
27 report on waste heat recovery in this Commonwealth to the House
28 of Representatives no later than one year after the adoption of
29 this resolution.
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