At the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh, Gov. Josh Shapiro acknowledged “the competition is fierce with every other state” to win CapEx investment, but was bullish on Pennsylvania’s position.
“I’m competitive as hell and I want Pennsylvania to win on every single deal,” he told Standard & Works in an exclusive interview.
Shapiro highlighted Pennsylvania’s energy profile as a unique advantage.
“We are a net energy exporter which puts us in a position to be able to attract all kinds of businesses. We’re here today talking about AI. AI is energy intensive and we’ve got the energy to run these data centers without harming consumers and homeowners, and small businesses and others.”
Earlier in the day, on a panel at the Summit, Shapiro linked Pennsylvania’s political identity as “the swingiest state in the entire country” to its competitiveness.
“For any bill to get to my desk, for any law to be signed by me, it requires the votes of Republicans and Democrats,” Shapiro said. “And to me, that’s not just how I’m wired, to create partnerships, but it’s a necessity in these challenging times, these polarizing times we find ourselves in.”
He added: “Every elected official needs to be committed to do this work across party lines, public sector and private sector.”
