Bradford County adopts data center rules, Wyalusing hyperscale project's air permit issued

Bradford County Commissioners adopted comprehensive new zoning standards for data center development on July 9, as detailed in the Bradford County Planning Commission's July 21 meeting agenda. The ordinance, "Ordinance 2026-02," integrates a dedicated data center section into the county's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), following public hearings and review by a Data Center Amendment Working Group. These regulations stipulate requirements such as documenting utility electric service, minimizing water consumption with closed-loop cooling systems where feasible, and installing on-site utility lines underground. Developers are also mandated to coordinate with county emergency services, obtain 911 addresses, and establish a decommissioning plan with financial security.

Separately, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an air quality plan approval on October 9, 2025, for a hyperscale data center project located in Wyalusing Township. This approval, effective through April 8, 2027, pertains to KDI Wyalusing Power LLC, an affiliate of New Fortress Energy operating under Klondike Digital Infrastructure. The project involves constructing the Wyalusing Energy Center, a new natural gas-fired power plant with eight 31-megawatt turbines, designed to supply up to 218 megawatts of electricity exclusively to the data center without connecting to the electrical grid. The DEP's review memo indicates the site previously had an air quality approval for an LNG plant that was never built. Emissions limits and natural gas usage caps are in place to classify the facility as a minor air source. It remains unclear if KDI Wyalusing Power LLC has filed a land development application with Bradford County, and whether such a filing would precede or fall under the newly adopted county ordinance.