Chester and Montgomery counties release Data Center Ordinance Guide

Chester and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania have jointly released a Data Center Ordinance Guide, a document intended to assist local municipalities in establishing regulations for data center development. The guide suggests that municipalities should permit data centers through a conditional use process. This recommendation is unlikely to satisfy a vocal segment of the population actively opposing data centers due to concerns regarding their environmental impact and significant power consumption, with some residents advocating for moratoriums or outright bans. The release of this guide comes amidst ongoing local debates and specific development activities. The Borough of West Conshohocken is currently developing its own proposed data center ordinance. Additionally, a previous proposal for a data center at a former steel plant in Conshohocken, within Plymouth Township, was withdrawn. However, the developers indicated an intention to resubmit the proposal at a later date, indicating continued potential for data center development in the region.