Data centers are dominating the conversation in Pennsylvania. I understand why. They bring tax revenue. They bring construction jobs. They are also massive energy consumers.

They drive up electricity demand in an already strained grid, raising prices. They consume enormous amounts of water for cooling. They’re loud, sprawling, and once built, they don’t employ many people long-term. I work for an engineering firm and I have a better idea.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work alongside advanced engineering teams, supporting semiconductor manufacturing equipment, specifically EUV lithography. This technology makes modern computing possible. It uses extreme ultraviolet light and nanometer-level precision to etch billions of transistors onto silicon wafers.

Without this, there is no AI, advanced defense systems, modern automotive industry or future economy. No data centers themselves.

The U.S. is working to rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing base — but most advanced chip production is still overseas.

Pennsylvania should not sit on the sidelines of this transformation. We should lead it.

Instead of data centers, we should be attracting high-tech semiconductor manufacturing facilities. They are economic drivers.

They create thousands of high-paying, highly skilled jobs: engineers, technicians, operators. They support entire ecosystems: suppliers, contractors, construction, research institutions and training programs. A chip manufacturing facility would drive long-term wage growth and industrial stability.

This kind of investment would bring long-term industrial relevance back to Pennsylvania and create a tech backbone here for decades. It’s about strategic independence and bringing critical technology production back to American soil.

Justin Wagner,

Mercer, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives