Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) is promoting the Local Control Protection Act, federal legislation he introduced in June 2026 to grant municipalities more authority over data center construction. The bill follows a television advertisement campaign in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area where Bresnahan emphasizes protecting local communities from large corporations. Financial disclosures show that Bresnahan holds millions of dollars in total investments, including stakes in technology and data center industries, leading to criticism from political opponents.
The legislative push comes amid a surge in proposed data center development in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where approximately 29 projects were recently reported to be under consideration. These facilities have faced local opposition due to their high electricity and water consumption. An August 2026 poll by Franklin & Marshall College indicated that nearly 80% of Pennsylvania voters oppose having a data center built in their specific community.
Bresnahan’s financial disclosure filed in August 2025 reveals holdings in companies that operate data centers, such as Equinix, Digital Realty Trust, and Iron Mountain, valued between $19,005 and $110,000. He also holds between $804,024 and $2.04 million in companies providing infrastructure for the industry, including NVIDIA, AMD, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Additionally, he reported between $777,000 and $1.78 million in major tech firms like Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta. A January 2026 report noted he purchased $1,454 worth of stock in Credo Technology, a data center supplier, in June 2025; that stock subsequently increased in value by 109%.
If passed, the Local Control Protection Act would provide boroughs and townships legal immunity in federal court when they deny data center applications based on documented concerns such as public health, water resources, or infrastructure. The bill would also require developers seeking federal incentives to enter into enforceable community benefit agreements, which include local hiring plans and infrastructure mitigation.
The scale of the industry’s expansion includes planned investments such as a $25 billion project involving Blackstone Inc. in the region, which Bresnahan previously praised. Residents could see impact on their utility bills, as data centers have been linked to rising electricity costs. Under the bill, agreements would include noise monitoring and environmental requirements.
The bill has not yet advanced beyond introduction. Voters will weigh these issues in the upcoming November election, where Bresnahan faces Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti (D). Cognetti, who does not hold individual stocks but has diversified mutual funds, has scrutinized Bresnahan’s trading activity. While Bresnahan has signed a discharge petition to bring a ban on congressional stock trading to the floor and stated he has directed his advisers to stop trading until a ban is passed, he is among the most active traders in Congress with over 500 transactions reported since taking office.
A spokesperson for Bresnahan stated that the congressman’s financial advisers manage his portfolio without his input and argued that supporting local control is consistent with his past statements. The spokesperson also noted that Cognetti’s administration has faced its own local criticism for delays in implementing data center zoning ordinances. Cognetti's campaign maintains that Bresnahan is "trading off of" the industry while legislating.