Data center concerns grow in Upper Burrell as moratorium end looms
Residents in Upper Burrell, Pennsylvania, are advocating for a stringent data center ordinance as the township's moratorium on new development is set to expire in November and cannot be extended. Concerns persist regarding the transparency and potential community impact of the existing TECfusions data center project. A land-use appeal has been filed against the township by residents and a nonprofit.
Residents of Upper Burrell Township, Pennsylvania, are actively pushing for the swift passage of a comprehensive data center ordinance as a self-imposed moratorium on new development is scheduled to end on November 2 and cannot be extended. The township supervisors are working on a draft ordinance that would regulate data center projects, including specific requirements for conditional use zoning within industrial districts.
Community members have voiced significant concerns about the TECfusions data center, which has an operating first phase exempt from the new regulations. Residents like Jeffrey Shutak and Guy Fuller have demanded more transparency regarding the project's maximum build-out, potential community impacts, and long-term plans. Guy Fuller, along with Allen Uhler and nonprofit Protect PT, filed a land-use appeal in Westmoreland County court, alleging that TECfusions did not follow proper local zoning procedures. Supervisors vice-chairman Kenneth Slahtovsky acknowledged difficulties in obtaining information from TECfusions compared to other developers.
The proposed ordinance, slated for review by the township planning commission on September 15, includes provisions requiring developers to submit five to ten-year plans, provide their own baseload power generation, and obtain letters from utilities confirming grid capacity. It also mandates water usage analyses, closed-loop cooling systems, and environmental impact studies covering e-waste, carbon emissions, energy consumption, and noise levels, with significant setback requirements from property lines and residences.
While the township focuses on the data center ordinance, they plan to develop a separate power plant ordinance afterward, to avoid jeopardizing the data center ordinance's timely completion before the moratorium expires. Township officials confirmed no non-disclosure agreements or personal financial benefits from the TECfusions project. A recent executive order from Gov. Josh Shapiro also reinforces the need for data centers to provide their own power generation.