Pennsylvania is being lined up for a wave of new data centers, and behind that build-out is a quieter story: more fracking and new gas power plants to run it all. The communities closest to this development are often the ones who carry the harms. On Wednesday, July 29, the Halt the Harm Network is hosting a free webinar on what’s coming and how residents can push for stronger protections.
Webinar details
- Title: Fracking Fuels Data Centers: Protective Buffers Make Communities Safer
- Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
- Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern
- Format: Free online webinar via Zoom
- Hosted by: Halt the Harm Network, with Protect PT, the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), and FracTracker
What the session covers
The panel will break down how the data center build-out proposed for Pennsylvania connects to more fracking and additional gas power plants, and where communities can win stronger protections. Attendees will leave understanding how these projects move forward, the harms they bring to nearby communities, and the specific safeguards, like protective buffers, that keep communities safer. Whether you are already organizing in your area or just starting to track what’s happening, the session is designed to be useful.
Who you’ll hear from
- Lauren Posey — environmental policy advocate at Protect PT
- Lisa Hallowell — senior attorney at the Environmental Integrity Project
- Matt Kelso — FracTracker
- Courtney Bernhardt — director of research and co-director of EIP’s Center for Environmental Investigations
- Lisa Graves Marcucci — EIP’s Pennsylvania coordinator of community outreach
How to register
Registration is free. Sign up on the Halt the Harm Network event page: Register for the Fracking Fuels Data Centers webinar. Can’t make it live? Register anyway and the organizers will send you the recording.
Shared by the H2O Water Network to help member communities stay informed about energy development and its effects on water and public health across the Appalachian region.
