Data center ordinance draws Northampton County taxpayers to local meetings
Residents of Lower Mount Bethel Township are actively organizing against a proposed data center campus and a new ordinance that would establish zoning and performance standards for such facilities. The board of supervisors is set to vote on the ordinance, with most speakers urging rejection or stricter regulations due to concerns over rural character, water, noise, and environmental impacts. Developers have already scaled back the project in response to community input.
Residents in Lower Mount Bethel Township and Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, are actively opposing a proposed data center campus. The community gathered for a public hearing on Ordinance 2026-01, which aims to establish zoning and performance standards for digital infrastructure facilities within Chapter 27 of the township's zoning code. While some supported regulating data centers with strict standards, the majority urged the board of supervisors to reject or strengthen the measure, citing concerns over water supplies, environmental impacts, noise, health, and property values.
Peron Development, behind the proposed Lower Mount Bethel Technology Center, announced a revised plan that removes approximately 350 acres of agricultural land from the project footprint and consolidates development near existing power plants. John Callahan of Peron Development stated the project would use closed-loop cooling without drawing local water and committed to fully funding necessary power infrastructure upgrades. Opponents, including the 'No Data Center in the LMBT' group and attorney Denise Wester, argue the ordinance is not restrictive enough and called for further environmental and health studies, as well as joint studies on potential power plant expansion. Wester specifically suggested adopting Iceotope precision liquid cooling for improved water protection and noise reduction.
Dominic Buscemi invoked Pennsylvania's Green Amendment, arguing that allowing a data center that harms natural resources would violate this constitutional mandate and could expose supervisors to liability. He also advocated for a statewide moratorium on new data centers. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an executive order implementing GRID principles, requiring large data center projects to provide or pay for their power needs and meet environmental and community standards, reflecting a move towards stricter state-level oversight.
The Lower Mount Bethel Township Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the ordinance on September 14. Supervisor Chair David Ascani reiterated his commitment to preserving agricultural land, assuring residents that no zoning changes would impact farmland.