DOYLESTOWN, PA — Lucia Simonelli, Democratic candidate for the PA-o1 Congressional district, will host a virtual community meeting on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The meeting will cover information on the effects climate change and AI data centers have had on the cost of living. Click here to sign up and for more information.
Simonelli was born and raised by working-class parents in Montgomery County. After graduating through the public school system and earning a doctorate, she used her technical background to serve as a science advisor under Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. For the past seven years, she has worked largely on federal policy in non-profit organizations, with a focus on a sustainable and affordable climate future.
Simonelli said data centers have come under heavy scrutiny in recent months due to several reasons: a lack of real oversight and accountability, hasty public policy decisions, and a significant rise in energy costs for local residents. With Pennsylvania’s energy grid aging, she said concerns are growing about the ability of the public infrastructure’s ability to accommodate the new construction.
Simonelli said her sole opponent in the Democratic congressional primary, Bob Harvie, initially championed the fast-tracked development of a Falls Township data center and publicly praised it alongside Governor Shapiro in August 2025. Despite community members' concerns about misguided claims of “job growth”, the building construction went ahead, she said.
The virtual event on Thursday will be an opportunity for residents of PA - 01 to voice their concerns about trying to make ends meet under rising energy and food prices, and learn about what they can about it.
“People who work for a living deserve to know that the people they elect are on their side. Rising costs in food, housing, and electricity are hurting everyday Americans living in this district – all while Big Tech is receiving huge tax credits and neglecting to invest back into our communities. It’s up to us to protect our future,” says Tricia Bowers, a volunteer with the Lucia for Congress campaign.
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