Hundreds gather to oppose data centers in Newport Twp.
Hundreds of Newport Township residents attended a commissioners meeting to oppose Fit Energy Group’s proposed 15-building data center campus and associated natural gas facilities. Township officials said they had limited information and no land sale had been completed, while residents raised concerns about transparency, zoning, water quality, environmental impacts and property values.
Hundreds of residents gathered at Greater Nanticoke Area High School for a Newport Township commissioners meeting focused on opposition to a proposed 15-data-center campus. Fit Energy Group, backed by Montreal-based private equity firm Fit Ventures, is considering nearly 1,400 acres in the township, along with three natural gas generation facilities. The proposed site is 75 Main Road in the Lee section, an industrial-zoned area currently associated with Newport Aggregate Inc.’s mining and quarry operation.
Township officials said they had not received project plans or completed a land sale, although the developer had submitted 15 zoning applications and paid more than $10,000 in permit fees. Residents criticized the township’s transparency and zoning authority, questioned potential conflicts involving solicitor Christopher Slusser, and cited concerns about water quality, environmental effects and property values. Officials said they had asked the developer to hold a public meeting by the end of the month.