‘I call it a bribe’: Pennsylvania residents spurn US$10,000 data centre checks
Residents of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, are opposing NorthPoint Development’s planned data center after more than 1,200 acres were cleared near Eagle Rock Resort. A court-ordered construction halt and municipal moratorium are in place, while the developer is offering a $165 million community fund that includes $10,000 payments to households. Nearby Sugarloaf Township residents are also fighting a transmission line linked to the project.
Residents near Eagle Rock Resort in Hazle Township have mobilized against NorthPoint Development’s planned data center after clearing began on more than 1,200 acres of forest in late 2024. They cite concerns about noise, pollution, loss of property value and the project’s impact on the area’s rural character. A court-ordered halt to construction and a municipal moratorium have temporarily stopped work, but NorthPoint continues to pursue the development.
The developer has proposed a $165 million fund for Hazle Township and its residents, including $45 million in direct payments to about 4,500 households once the first building becomes operational. Opponents describe the payments as an attempt to buy support. In neighboring Sugarloaf Township, residents are separately challenging a high-voltage transmission line believed to be intended to supply the data center, including an eminent-domain proceeding affecting land targeted for a transmission tower.