Cuevas, Whitcomb campaign on affordability, data centers in 187th House Democratic primary

In the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 187th state House District, candidates Rachel Cuevas and Geoffrey Whitcomb are addressing voters on key issues, including data center development. The 187th District encompasses townships like Lower Macungie, Heidelberg, and Lynn in Lehigh County. Geoffrey Whitcomb, a Reading School District music teacher, voiced deep reservations about data centers, comparing them to the Dot-com bubble. He argues data centers pose environmental risks due to their significant water and power demands and questions their job creation potential. Whitcomb stated he opposes 98% of data center proposals, making an exception only for projects on brownfields with demonstrated need. If elected, he committed to collaborating with environmental groups to draft legislation that would grant municipalities greater authority to reject data center proposals within their boundaries. Conversely, Rachel Cuevas, formerly in health insurance and HR, highlighted Lower Macungie Township as a model for balancing economic growth with community protection. She noted the township has proposed a data center ordinance that would classify facilities as conditional use, subject to provisions on noise levels, energy, and water consumption. This proposed ordinance would also prohibit data centers within 1,000 feet of homes, places of worship, and schools. Cuevas pledged to support municipalities in developing similar tools to safeguard residents from large-scale developments, asserting that businesses unable to meet local standards are not beneficial for residents.