Penn Forest Twp. Supervisors approve regulations for data center development

Penn Forest Twp. supervisors unanimously approved a curative zoning amendment to regulate data centers in the municipality. The 45-page ordinance defines an overlay district in a residential area and includes measures such as water feasibility studies, backup power generator transparency, and decommissioning plans. While some residents opposed data center development, supervisors argued that approving the ordinance would protect the township in the future. A developer, Mele Brothers Realty, had filed a challenge against the township for lacking zoning regulations for data centers prior to the ordinance's approval.