Public meeting to be held Thursday on data center proposal in Carbon County

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has scheduled a public meeting and hearing for Thursday, August 20, at Panther Valley Junior/Senior High School in Lansford, Pennsylvania. Carbon County residents are invited to ask questions and offer opinions on a proposed data center in Nesquehoning.

The project, spearheaded by Carbon Node East Development, LLC (Keel Infrastructure), aims to construct a data center campus spanning 336 acres near the Panther Creek Power facility on Dennison Road. Plans detail four data center buildings, each approximately 300,000 square feet, along with two new substations. The campus has secured 350 megawatts (MW) of power capacity, with potential expansion to 510 MW.

The DEP's event will feature two segments: a public meeting for general project inquiries and a public hearing specifically for testimony on the developer's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application and Water Obstruction and Encroachment joint permit application. These permits are crucial given the proposed site's proximity to waterways like Dennison Run, Broad Run, and Nesquehoning Creek. Local environmental non-profit Save Carbon County has actively opposed the development, with member Steve Chuckra stating that "Destroying exceptional value streams is contrary to the idea of societal benefit and progress."

Individuals wishing to ask questions or testify are asked to submit a written notice of intent to Patricia Monahan, DEP Community Relations Coordinator. Testimony will be limited to three minutes per person.