Opinion: Blueprint for smart data center development can start in our region
An opinion piece advocates for a strategic approach to data center development in the Greater Lehigh Valley and northeast Pennsylvania, emphasizing local ordinances that protect natural resources and community values. The author highlights Penn Forest Township's recently approved ordinance with strict provisions for data center construction as a model for other communities. This approach aims to leverage economic benefits like job creation while mitigating potential negative impacts.
An opinion column in The Morning Call argues for a blueprint for smart data center development in the Greater Lehigh Valley and northeast Pennsylvania. The author, Josephine Ferro, a former Monroe County register of wills and recorder of deeds, suggests that local townships must be deliberate in pursuing partnerships with industries that protect the region's natural beauty and small-town way of life while creating economic opportunities.
The piece highlights data centers as a source of jobs and economic revitalization, citing a Brookings Institution examination that advocates for using permitting and approval processes to align projects with local priorities. It also references cloud computing company CoreWeave's investment in startup companies in New Jersey as an incentive for community engagement.
The column emphasizes the significant economic benefits, including high-paying construction and long-term operational jobs, which could be transformative for areas like Carbon County, where the median per capita income is below the national average. However, it stresses that these opportunities are only worthwhile if the region can retain its unique character, including its natural environment.
Ferro praises the Penn Forest Township Zoning Board for approving an ordinance that includes strict provisions for data center construction, addressing concerns such as noise levels, environmental and groundwater protections, landscape buffering, and emergency response. She proposes this ordinance as a model for responsible data center development that other communities across the state and country should adopt, allowing regions to benefit from these facilities without compromising local values.