Penn’s Northeast seminar in Wilkes-Barre spotlights NEPA’s data center future

Penn's Northeast, a regional economic development organization, hosted a seminar in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania focused on the future of data centers in Northeast Pennsylvania. The event featured panel discussions on several key topics, including an introductory "Data Center 101" session, as well as sessions on utility and infrastructure readiness, workforce development, and state and local policies. According to John Augustine, the president and CEO of Penn's Northeast, the seminar was designed to answer the questions he hears most often from the business community, especially around zoning and local impacts. Augustine said "People have a fear of the unknown, and that's not unfounded. And that's why we believed it was important today to have this event so that the business community can learn the facts and figures and then go and share that message." Organizers said the goal was not to be a "commercial for the industry" but rather to present the facts and figures, both the pros and cons, as communities in the region weigh where data centers fit and what infrastructure they will require.