Pa. state senator profited from $30M property sale for a massive data center development
Pennsylvania State Senator Greg Rothman's real estate firm profited from the sale of land for the massive PAX-1 data center project in Cumberland County, sparking anger among local opposition groups. Rothman also introduced a data center-friendly bill that initially sought to limit local regulatory power, although that provision was later removed, and he recently voted on a bill impacting data center sales tax exemptions.
Pennsylvania State Senator Greg Rothman, a career real estate agent and chair of the state's Republican Party, reportedly profited from the $30 million sale of property in Cumberland County last year to developers of the controversial PAX-1 data center project. Rothman confirmed his firm, RSR Realtors, received a fee for the land sale due to prior work for the property's previous owner, though he stated he was not involved in the 2023 transaction or the PAX-1 project itself. Igal Feibush, CEO of Pennsylvania Data Center Partners, which oversees PAX-1, corroborated Rothman's prior involvement.
The lawmaker's financial ties have fueled anger among "Stewards of Cumberland County," a bipartisan group seeking to halt data center development, who question his legislative actions given his financial stake. Less than a month after the PAX-1 sale, Rothman introduced a bill that would have expedited permitting and barred local municipalities from more aggressively regulating data centers, though these provisions were later amended out. He has also voted on a bill that would eliminate a data center sales tax exemption. The PAX-1 project, a proposed $15 billion, 1.35 gigawatt facility in Middlesex Township, is one of the largest in the state, with site work having begun and initial delivery planned for Q2 2027. Developers, including Pennsylvania Data Center Partners and PowerHouse Data Centers (through their joint venture Carlisle Development Partners), are also exploring an additional campus in Monroe Township, though Rothman was not involved in those transactions. Zoning for PAX-1 was approved by Middlesex Township, but an appeal and further negotiations are ongoing.