Honey Brook Data Center Rules Head to Oct. 14 Vote
Honey Brook Township supervisors will hold an Oct. 14 hearing and may vote on proposed rules allowing data centers and battery energy-storage systems in the township’s Business Industrial District. The draft ordinance would impose strict limits on siting, water use, electricity capacity, noise, environmental impacts, and emergency preparedness.
Honey Brook Township, Pennsylvania, is considering a zoning amendment that would allow data centers and battery energy-storage systems only as conditional uses in the Business Industrial District. The proposal would exclude hyperscale facilities exceeding 75,000 square feet or 25 megawatts and require public hearings, minimum site sizes, large setbacks, environmental and community impact analyses, and emergency response plans.
The draft rules would require dry-cooling systems with no net cooling-water consumption, public water service, hydrological studies, utility certifications, grid-impact analyses, and developer-funded infrastructure upgrades. Facilities over 2 megawatts would also face continuous monitoring and annual compliance certifications. Supervisors are scheduled to hear public comments on Oct. 14 and may enact the amendment afterward; it has not yet been adopted.