Municipalities to hold five data center meetings or hearings this month

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, is set to be a hub of data center discussions this month, with at least five municipal meetings and public hearings scheduled across Archbald, Fell Twp., Greenfield Twp., Olyphant, and Scott Twp. These meetings will focus on either specific data center developments or the implementation of new zoning regulations. Archbald Borough Council is holding its third conditional use hearing on April 13 for the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus, developed by Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management LLC. This project, first proposed in January 2025, involves 14 two-story data centers on 574.2 acres and is projected to consume over 3.3 million gallons of water daily during peak times and require 1.6 gigawatts of electricity. The project has already encountered significant opposition from the public and local officials. In a more proactive move, Fell Twp., Greenfield Twp., Olyphant, and Scott Twp. are considering legislation to designate data centers as conditional uses within their zoning ordinances. This classification allows municipalities to impose specific conditions on developers, including requirements for public hearings, sound studies, and assessments of water and electricity impacts. Proposed regulations across these townships address concerns such as setbacks from residential areas, building height limits, noise decibel levels, and the necessity for developers to document available water and electrical capacity, ensuring no adverse effects on existing residents.