Middlesex Township Approves Massive PAX-1 Data Center Project

The Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors voted 2-0 on Tuesday night to approve all agenda items for the first phase of the PAX-1 hyperscale data center project. The approval covers the final land development plan for Phase 1B, a community benefits agreement involving a $14 million payment to the township, and a side letter requiring emissions, water quality, and noise monitoring.

The project is a joint venture between Pennsylvania Data Center Partners and Microsoft. It is the largest data center proposal in Pennsylvania, consisting of a 16-building complex spanning nearly 700 acres. The vote took place at Cumberland Valley High School during a meeting attended by approximately 750 residents, many of whom expressed opposition based on health, wildlife, and noise concerns.

The decision was reached by only two supervisors following the resignation of William Goodhart last week. Legal challenges to the project are ongoing, as five couples living near the proposed site have filed a lawsuit in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas alleging illegal spot zoning.