Bowmanstown, PA Data Center Plan Sparks Zoning Fight
DTA Alliance LLC is seeking zoning changes for a proposed data center campus spanning Bowmanstown and Lower Towamensing Township in Carbon County. The project, which could include 14 buildings and cost about $4 billion, remains unapproved as zoning challenges and a postponed township hearing raise questions about land use, water and power infrastructure.
DTA Alliance LLC has proposed a data center campus across Bowmanstown and Lower Towamensing Township in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The Bowmanstown plan calls for a 375,000-square-foot facility on 55 acres, while the Lower Towamensing proposal would cover more than 700 acres with 14 buildings totaling 4.5 million square feet, including the Blue Shamrock Golf Club site. DTA estimates the project could cost about $4 billion.
The developer and an affiliated company have filed zoning challenges, arguing that the municipalities’ ordinances do not allow data centers and improperly restrict a legitimate land use. The Lower Towamensing hearing was postponed at DTA’s request, and officials have not set a replacement date. The proposals remain unapproved, with future hearings and possible court proceedings expected to determine whether the zoning challenges have merit.
Residents and opponents have raised broader concerns about water use, electricity demand and infrastructure capacity. A Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission study warned that rapid data center growth could strain reliability if demand outpaces available resources, although it did not forecast outages caused by this specific project.