67 MW powerline over the Schuylkill would feed Limerick data center

State Senator Katie Muth (D-44th Dist.) is urging the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to schedule a public hearing for the proposed Limerick 67MW Distribution Project. This project involves stringing a mile-long, high-voltage power line over the Schuylkill River to supply a planned 1.4 million-square-foot data center in Limerick. Senator Muth posted on Facebook, encouraging residents to email the DEP by April 20, 2026, to request the hearing, emphasizing the public's right to address concerns with state regulators and the applicant. The application, submitted by PECO, outlines the project's goal to improve system capacity and reliability by connecting the Lock substation to the data center. The identity of the data center's end-user remains confidential, referred to only as "the customer" in PECO's 300-page application. Limerick Township Manager Dan Kerr confirmed the township received notification from PECO in December 2025. However, Township Engineer Khaled R. Hassan of Pennoni Assoc. indicated that detailed plans for the power line were not yet sufficient to determine compliance with township ordinances, including stormwater regulations. East Coventry and Lower Pottsgrove townships, along with Montgomery and Chester counties, were also notified. Environmental concerns include the construction of at least one monopole in a floodplain and minor wetlands, though the application claims permanent impacts would be "de minimus." Moving the pole's location to avoid these areas would reportedly violate FAA regulations due to proximity to a neighboring airport. The project expects to disturb 10.5 acres across 37 properties, with construction slated for May 2026 to May 2027, paid for by the unnamed customer. Senator Muth has consistently warned municipalities like East Vincent, East Coventry, North Coventry, and Limerick about the potential negative effects of hyper-scale data centers, specifically citing their immense water and electrical power needs, as well as noise pollution. She plans to introduce a bill in the state Senate calling for a three-year statewide moratorium on data center applications, aiming to provide municipalities with time to develop comprehensive and protective zoning ordinances.