Six data center hearings set for next eight days
Multiple public hearings are scheduled in Greater Hazleton, Pennsylvania, concerning proposed data center developments by NorthPoint Development (Project Hazelnut) and Amazon. These hearings will address issues such as transmission lines, water sales for cooling and domestic use, and overall development plans. Some residents have expressed frustration over restrictions on public participation at certain hearings.
Six public hearings are slated over the next eight days regarding proposed data centers in Greater Hazleton, Pennsylvania, with four hearings led by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. These commission hearings, scheduled for June 30 and July 7, will address a 1.1-mile, 230-kilovolt transmission line planned for Hazle Township to power NorthPoint Development's Project Hazelnut data center, as well as a proposal for CAN DO to sell 30,000 gallons of drinking water to the project for domestic use. NorthPoint plans to cool the data center with treated sewage from the Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority.
Separately, the Kline Township Planning Commission will hold hearings on June 30 and July 1 concerning an Amazon Web Services data center proposed on 380 acres off Lofty Road. Public participation for these hearings will be limited to Kline Township residents and property owners, a restriction that has drawn criticism from residents like Patricia Pane of Banks Township, who expressed frustration about not being able to speak despite being a regional ratepayer potentially affected by the plans. Amazon's attorney previously stated that the center would be air-cooled 96% of the time, with an agreement to use up to 100,000 gallons of water daily for the remaining 4%.