Middlesex Township postpones data center vote again after official has medical episode
Middlesex Township has again postponed a crucial vote on the controversial PAX-1 data center project, this time due to a township official's medical episode during a crowded meeting. This marks the second postponement for the vote, which aims to approve six of the 16 planned buildings for the complex. Residents continue to express strong opposition over noise, traffic, and environmental impacts.
Middlesex Township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, has once again postponed a critical vote on the controversial PAX-1 data center project. The vote, which concerns the approval of six out of 16 proposed buildings for the complex, was initially scheduled for August 5 but was first delayed due to overcrowding that created a fire hazard.
The latest postponement occurred during a Wednesday night meeting, which had been relocated to the Middlesex Township Elementary School gymnasium to accommodate a large turnout of community members. The meeting was halted after a township official experienced a medical episode. The vote has now been rescheduled for September 2.
The PAX-1 project has faced significant community opposition, with residents complaining about ongoing construction noise, lights, increased traffic, and environmental degradation, including the disappearance of local wildlife. Construction for the complex is anticipated to last approximately five more years, with substations already under construction.
In a related development, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an executive order imposing what he described as the nation's strictest guardrails on AI data centers. A spokesperson for the company behind PAX-1 stated that the project already meets or exceeds most of the requirements outlined in Governor Shapiro's executive order.