Greater Hazleton Chamber hosts ‘Red Carpet 101: Data Centers and Energy Impacts’

The Greater Hazleton Chamber is set to host an educational program, "Red Carpet 101: Data Centers and Energy Impacts," on April 1 at Sand Springs Country Club in Drums, Pennsylvania. This event is designed to provide business professionals and community members with a foundational understanding of the burgeoning data center industry and its wide-ranging effects on local economies and infrastructure. Key insights will be presented from a new study by the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, titled "Exploring the Dynamics Surrounding Data Centers in Northeastern Pennsylvania." Jill Avery Stoss, President of the Institute, will elaborate on how data center impacts are highly variable, dependent on design, siting, governance, and integration with local systems, emphasizing the role of policies, planning, and infrastructure strategies in determining whether a facility benefits or burdens a community. Amy Brinton, Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, will also speak, offering context on the legislative and policy environment relevant to data centers. Brinton, with her extensive background in energy and utility policy, including her work on renewable energy legislation and the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority, will shed light on the broader regulatory landscape. Mary Malone, President and CEO of the Greater Hazleton Chamber, highlighted the Chamber's commitment to helping local communities understand this developing industry and its complex energy and planning issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with speakers and ask questions about local data center implications.