Lycoming County officials: Townships must act now to regulate data centers

Lycoming County officials are advising local municipalities to promptly establish zoning ordinances to regulate data center development. The urgency was highlighted during a commissioners meeting after Lycoming Township resident Irene Harrison expressed alarm over recent data center news and her opposition to such facilities on farmland. Commissioner Marc Sortman confirmed no companies had approached the county directly, as developers typically engage with local municipalities first.

Sortman, who oversees planning matters, recommended Harrison attend her township supervisors meeting and directed her to the county planning commission. He revealed the planning commission is developing both a new zoning ordinance and a temporary measure to halt new data center construction while permanent rules are being drafted. He cautioned that municipalities without existing ordinances are vulnerable to unchecked development, drawing parallels to previous experiences with the natural gas and solar industries. Muncy Township was cited as an example, where Liberty Group's Danko Holdings II and Fishlips LLC submitted a data center plan without prior regulation in place.

County Solicitor Chris Kenyon provided legal context, explaining that municipalities cannot outright ban businesses but can impose reasonable restrictions through zoning ordinances. He noted the lack of state environmental regulations specifically for data centers, though general DEP laws on water use apply. Kenyon also informed residents of their right to intervene in the approval process once a project is formally proposed. Harrison indicated she would attend her township's next meeting to voice her concerns.