How Penn Forest's Data Center Ordinance Protects Residents

Although no specific project is before them, Penn Forest Township's Board of Supervisors passed one of the most stringent data center ordinances in Pennsylvania. Below is a plain-language look at what it actually requires.

Developers Pay, Not Taxpayers

Under the ordinance, developers are responsible for 100% of required infrastructure costs, including any new transmission infrastructure. Before a project can even be approved, developers must get written certification from the local utility confirming there's enough energy capacity to support it, and new electrical lines must be buried underground where feasible.

Protecting the Land

Building setbacks go beyond typical industry standards, and a continuous 100-foot landscaped buffer is required along every exterior property line. Clear-cutting is prohibited, mature forests must be preserved where possible, and any structure 60 feet or taller that would be visible triggers a viewshed analysis. Exterior lighting has to minimize glare and skyglow so it doesn't spill onto neighboring properties.

Keeping Noise in Check

Developers have to demonstrate — before construction even starts — that they can meet the ordinance's noise limits, which apply day and night. Township officials retain the right to check sound levels at any time once the facility is operating.

Guarding Water

Before any well is drilled, developers must complete a three-step groundwater study and a mandatory Well Depletion Agreement covering every private well within 3,000 feet of the site. If a resident's water is affected, the developer has to pay to fix it and provide replacement water. Once a facility is running, it has to submit monthly water usage reports, and water-efficient systems like air-cooling or closed-loop cooling are encouraged. On top of local rules, federal and state protections — including the Clean Water Act and a 150-foot riparian buffer — still apply, and any project has to prove it won't make flooding worse downstream.

Ready for Emergencies, and Ready to Leave

Before operations begin, developers must have a certified emergency response plan reviewed by local fire officials, Knox-Box access for first responders, and annual fire inspections. And if a project ever shuts down, the developer has already posted financial security equal to 110% of the estimated cost to remove the facility and restore the site — controlled by the township until the job is done.

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