Lower Macungie advances data center ordinance

The Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners in Pennsylvania has advanced a proposed ordinance aimed at regulating data centers within the township. On Thursday night, the board approved advertising the amended regulations, setting the stage for a future public hearing. The proposed ordinance designates data centers as a conditional use in the Industrial, Highway Enterprise, and Office, Research, Light Industrial Center zoning districts. It mandates annual reporting from applicants on detailed metrics, including water usage and discharge, electricity drawn from the public grid, and power consumed by emergency generators. Additionally, applicants will be required to conduct noise and vibration studies, adhere to power supply standards, and develop an emergency response plan. This legislation further defines "data center" and related equipment, amends the use table, and establishes new requirements concerning emergency protocols, setbacks, buffers, and environmental considerations. The move by Lower Macungie Township is part of a broader trend, with 17 municipalities in the Lehigh Valley region either having enacted or currently developing ordinances to manage data center development.