Data centers ‘front and center’ in key PA congressional races
Opposition to data center development has become a prominent issue in several competitive Pennsylvania congressional races. In South Whitehall Township, residents are fighting Edged US’s proposed Project Atlas complex, citing concerns about neighborhood impacts, electricity costs, water use and environmental effects.
Data centers have emerged as a bipartisan concern in Pennsylvania’s competitive congressional races, with candidates debating who should bear infrastructure and energy costs and whether local residents should approve new projects. A Quinnipiac University poll found that 74% of Pennsylvania voters opposed building a new data center in their community, although political analysts said the issue may not outweigh economic concerns and other campaign priorities.
In South Whitehall Township, residents including Laurie Gilley and Greg Sussman are organizing against Edged US’s proposed Project Atlas, a 1.5 million-square-foot complex planned on 410 acres across from Parkland High School and near residential homes. Edged US says the project would create 250 permanent jobs and generate millions of dollars annually for the township, school district and Lehigh County, while opponents remain concerned about impacts on power and water supplies, property values and the local environment.