Pennsylvania Professor Discusses Local Impacts and Regulation of Data Centers
Dr. Sabrina Dietrick from the University of Pittsburgh highlighted the escalating construction and localized impacts of data centers, emphasizing the need for communities to regulate them. Brian Rhone of Salem Township, Luzerne County, detailed the extensive challenges his small rural township faced, including noise, water, traffic, and administrative burdens, leading to the development of new ordinances and ongoing public opposition. Both speakers stressed proactive local planning and state support to manage data center developments effectively.
Dr. Sabrina Dietrick, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, addressed a hearing of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, highlighting the escalating construction of data centers and their widespread impacts on communities, municipalities, counties, and states. She noted that governments are considering bans or "timeouts" to better understand the costs, benefits, and local impacts. Dietrick stressed the importance of viewing data centers through a "local lens," arguing that while some financial benefits are local, environmental and health costs are primarily localized, drawing parallels to the environmental issues caused by the Marcellus Shale boom in Pennsylvania. She advocated for proactive municipal planning and community engagement to avoid past mistakes, emphasizing that local planning groups can set conditions like setbacks, building size, and buffers. Dietrick also cautioned against state attempts to degrade local land use controls and called for state agencies to support local governments with shared knowledge and resources.
Brian Rhone, a codes officer at Salem Township in Luzerne County, provided a firsthand account of his township's struggles with data center development since 2021. He explained that Talon and its spin-off, Cumulus, initially approached the township, leading to the construction of a large data center, which was later sold to Amazon. Salem Township, a small rural area with limited resources, had to develop new ordinances to regulate these massive buildings, including those for agricultural districts where projects were now locating.
Rhone detailed the significant challenges, including noise complaints from a Bitcoin operation (since shut down by Amazon) that required expensive noise studies and new ordinances. The township also faced issues with water infrastructure, increased traffic, and a surge in Right to Know requests, necessitating additional staff and office space. While community benefits agreements provided some financial relief, Rhone emphasized the considerable toll on the township's resources and the constant need to adapt regulations, reflecting the public's desire for larger setbacks and more screening.