Chris Kelly Opinion: Archbald reshuffles the deck on data centers

Local opposition to proposed data center developments in Archbald Borough, Pennsylvania, has intensified, leading to significant changes in the Borough Council's leadership. Prompted by a petition from the "Stop Archbald Data Centers" group and revelations from a DeSmog investigative report, a majority of the council voted to demote President Dave Moran, Vice President Richard Guman, and President Pro Tempore Marie Andreoli. The DeSmog report detailed how developers allegedly had early and extensive access to borough officials, influencing zoning "overlays" that facilitated data center construction in areas opposed by residents. The "new" council subsequently presided over a hearing for the proposed Green Mountain Data Center "Campus," which aims to build seven large data centers. Despite the Green Mountain team presenting their case, the event saw a large crowd of over 300 residents express strong opposition to what they perceive as an "existential threat." Community members, including Kelsey Pazanski Wargo and Justin Healey of Stop Archbald Data Centers, are actively advocating for a temporary moratorium on data center development, urging state and county officials for support. However, the movement faced criticism regarding the use of "AI slop" in some of its advocacy materials, specifically a flyer depicting state and county officials with distorted images. Group leaders acknowledged the "bad look" of the AI-generated content and committed to discouraging its use, emphasizing the importance of credible and earnest opposition efforts. The article suggests this incident reflects a broader issue of "AI slop" in digital advocacy, potentially undermining the seriousness of the opposition's message.