Suburban Philadelphians Are Fighting Against Data Centers. Can They Win?
Residents in Upper Merion and Plymouth townships are opposing large data center projects proposed by developer Brian O’Neill’s MLP Ventures. Upper Merion rejected the proposed 4.6-million-square-foot campus, but O’Neill is suing the township and pursuing other projects, while residents remain concerned about noise, emissions, electricity demand and water use.
Residents in Montgomery County have organized against major data center proposals from developer Brian O’Neill and his company, MLP Ventures. Upper Merion Township’s Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected O’Neill’s proposed 4.6-million-square-foot campus near King of Prussia, prompting O’Neill to pursue litigation against the township. His attorney says the developer has not abandoned the project and is also pursuing a two-million-square-foot facility at the former Cleveland Cliffs steel mill in Plymouth Township, as well as another proposal in West Conshohocken.
Opponents argue the projects could worsen noise, air pollution, heat and pressure on local electricity and water resources. Plymouth residents formed opposition groups and gathered petition signatures, while the township’s zoning proceedings have been criticized as difficult to follow and vulnerable to procedural problems. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed an executive order intended to limit data center development, but residents question whether it will provide meaningful protection. The article also describes broader opposition in Philadelphia, including calls for a citywide moratorium, and frames the Montgomery County disputes as an important test of Pennsylvania’s approach to AI infrastructure.