'Least worst option': Carbon County community faces data center challenges

Data centers face challenges in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, as the local Penn Forest Township considers a zoning amendment to allow data center development on residential land. The township sees this as the "least worst option" after facing a challenge from Mele Brothers Realty, who plan to build a data center campus in the area. Residents raise concerns about water usage, environmental impacts, and the suitability of the residential location for such a large-scale industrial project. The township has made efforts to address these concerns in the proposed amendment, but local groups like Save Carbon County remain opposed to the data center plans, arguing that the natural environment and local economy would be negatively impacted.