A Lehigh Valley township fights to preserve its farms, rural way of life from data center boom
Residents of Lower Mount Bethel Township are actively opposing a proposed hyperscale data center campus near the Martins Creek Power Plant, citing concerns about farmland preservation, rural lifestyle, and environmental impacts on the Delaware River. The original proposal was withdrawn due to community feedback, and a revised plan is expected soon, focusing on a reduced footprint and incorporation of community priorities.
Lower Mount Bethel Township residents are fiercely opposing a proposed hyperscale data center campus, fearing it will destroy farmland, alter their rural way of life, and negatively impact the Delaware River. The development team, which includes Talen Energy, Peron Development, and J.G. Petrucci Company Inc., initially presented a 1.2 gigawatt, $5 billion project, dubbed the Lower Mount Bethel Technology Center. This proposal has since been withdrawn, with developers promising a revised plan with a reduced footprint based on community feedback.
The conflict highlights a broader regional tension between economic development and environmental preservation. Residents, including long-time farming families and members of the anti-data-center coalition NoDataCenterLMBT.com, have turned township meetings into contentious affairs, demanding transparency and accountability from officials who previously signed non-disclosure agreements with Talen. An online petition against the project has garnered nearly 105,000 signatures, and residents are raising funds for legal and environmental reviews.
Key concerns revolve around the rezoning of agricultural land, potential water usage impacts on the Delaware River and private wells, and the strain on local infrastructure. Developers have stated they are committed to using water-efficient cooling technology and working on a community benefits agreement, but residents remain skeptical. The township's planning commission has begun discussing a new data center ordinance, while the Delaware River Basin Commission and PA Department of Environmental Protection are also monitoring the situation for potential regulatory involvement.
Supervisor John Mauser and many residents have publicly stated their opposition to data center development on farmland, advocating for the preservation of the township's agricultural character. The revised proposal is expected in the coming months, with developers aiming to consolidate the campus closer to the existing power plants and incorporate significant buffers.