Data center ordinance advertised for adoption in East Rockhill

The East Rockhill Board of Supervisors in Pennsylvania recently approved the advertisement of a new ordinance aimed at regulating data centers within the township. The proposed regulations, a preemptive measure in anticipation of future development requests, would restrict data center construction to industrial districts near the Pennridge Airport, imposing a 50-acre minimum lot size and a 45-foot building height limit. Township solicitor Will Oetinger noted that the board cannot legally prohibit data centers but emphasized that any proposal would require a water impact study and indemnification for affected wells. Residents, including Mark Ezzo, expressed significant concerns about the potential environmental and infrastructural impact of data centers, citing excessive water and electricity consumption, noise, air pollution, and groundwater depletion. Supervisor Jim Nietsupki echoed these concerns, highlighting the immense power draw of mega data centers. Despite these worries, there was unanimous agreement among supervisors to pass the ordinance to prevent unregulated development and allow for future amendments. The ordinance will undergo a 60-day advertisement period, followed by a public hearing and a final vote.