Firm buys land in Ransom Twp. for hyperscale data center campus
Mudiita Land Venture LLC purchased 530 acres in Ransom Twp., PA, to build a hyperscale data center campus with battery storage. The project faces significant zoning challenges as the land is designated for conservation and agriculture, and the township's zoning ordinance does not explicitly allow data centers. Additionally, the development raises environmental concerns about battery energy storage systems, and the township is currently involved in a legal dispute over a separate data center proposal.
Mudiita Land Venture LLC, a Carbon County-based firm with a New Jersey parent company, has acquired nearly 530 acres of conservation and agricultural land in Ransom Twp., Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, for $2.4 million. The company, connected to Mudiita Group and its CEO Puneet Sinha and founder Shatrughan Sinha, intends to develop a hyperscale data center and energy storage campus with a 750-megawatt capacity. This project would utilize battery energy storage systems (BESS) instead of traditional diesel generators.
However, the proposed development faces significant obstacles regarding its location and the township's current zoning regulations. Mudiita Infra's website claims "zoning flexibility" for the site, describing it as C-1 with potential for I-1 rezoning. This directly contradicts Ransom Twp.'s zoning map, which designates the majority of the land for restrictive open space/conservation (S-1) and agricultural (A-1) uses. The township's zoning ordinance does not include I-1 zones, nor does it currently zone for data centers.
The article also notes potential environmental concerns associated with BESS, citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on fire risks, harmful emissions, and specialized disposal needs. Furthermore, Ransom Twp. is already embroiled in a legal battle concerning another data center proposal at the Scranton Materials quarry, where a judge recently affirmed a Scranton resident's standing to challenge the project. This pre-existing legal context suggests a challenging path for Mudiita's proposed campus.