Meeting on proposed data center draws massive crowd in Forward Township
A proposed 1-million-square-foot Misty Hollow Energy and Data Center campus in Forward Township drew a large, hostile crowd at a public meeting. Residents raised concerns about noise, wildlife, property impacts, water use and energy effects, while developers said the project would use a closed-loop cooling system and generate its own energy on site.
A public meeting on the proposed Misty Hollow Energy and Data Center campus in Forward Township, Butler County, drew so many residents that it had to be moved to a larger building. The proposed 1-million-square-foot data center and energy campus would be located near Prospect Road and Connoquenessing Creek. Developers said the facility would use a closed-loop cooling system, minimizing withdrawals from the creek, and would generate energy on the same site to address concerns about effects on local electricity prices.
Residents strongly opposed the project, booing and shouting during the presentation. Neighbors cited potential noise, changes to the rural landscape, impacts on property and wildlife including eagles, and concerns about losing their way of life. A Forward Township supervisor who also serves on the planning board said the township lacks conventional zoning codes, making it more difficult to reject the project, but officials may seek mitigating measures or design changes before granting final approval.