Pennsylvania Townships Clash With Developers Over Data Center Projects

Local governments across Pennsylvania are facing intense public opposition to proposed data center developments, leading to rescheduled hearings and legal disputes. In Upper Mount Bethel Township, the Board of Supervisors postponed a meeting to discuss a developer-drafted agreement after an overcapacity crowd exceeded the 156-seat limit of the venue. The proposed deal involves Slate Belt Holdings, a joint venture between Talen Energy and River Pointe Logistics Center LLC, which offered up to $50 million in nonprofit donations to secure zoning changes and end a legal challenge.

Residents in both Upper and Lower Mount Bethel expressed concerns regarding the strain these projects would place on regional power and water resources. Maya K. van Rossum of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network criticized the supervisors for failing to anticipate the crowd size, noting that many residents had cleared their schedules to speak.

Similarly, the Plymouth Township Zoning Hearing Board rescheduled a hearing for a 2-million-square-foot project proposed by MLP Ventures to September 17. The board moved the meeting from a middle school to a smaller municipal meeting room to ensure testimony is clearly recorded, a move community organizers argue restricts public participation. The project, led by Brian O'Neill, aims to convert former steel mill buildings into a data center. O'Neill is also suing Upper Merion Township after officials there denied preliminary land development proposals for a separate cluster of data centers totaling nearly 5 million square feet.