Lackawanna County Commissioners hire firm to study environmental and health impacts of data centers and power plants

Lackawanna County Commissioners in Pennsylvania have unanimously approved a $165,000 contract with Harvard-based EmPower Analytics Group to conduct a comprehensive study on the cumulative air quality and public health impacts of more than a dozen proposed data center campuses and power plants. This decision follows months of impassioned pleas from residents and internal disagreements among commissioners regarding the study's cost and scope.

Commissioner Bill Gaughan, who initially pushed for the assessment, emphasized the importance of evaluating the combined effects of all projects on the county's air quality, stating that residents "don't breathe air one project at a time." The study, expected to be completed within 90 days, will build upon previous work by EmPower's lead, Michael Cork, Ph.D., for the "Stop Archbald Data Centers" group, but will be significantly broader in its county-wide, cumulative approach, including fine-scale local dispersion modeling and evaluating indirect electricity-generation impacts.

Commissioners Thom Welby and Chris Chermak, who initially raised concerns about the study's cost, ultimately agreed to move forward after a public bidding process. Welby highlighted that the study would provide residents with "ammunition" and "direct evidence" to defend their communities during future project hearings. The move is seen as a victory for local residents who have consistently voiced concerns about the environmental and health implications of the rapid industrial expansion, including massive natural gas-fueled power plants planned by PPL Corporation and Blackstone Infrastructure Group to support the energy-intensive data center industry.