"As the data center buildout escalates, rural Pennsylvanians urge lawmakers not to repeat past mistakes."
"HAZLETON, Pa.—The Hazle Township Supervisors faced a packed room. Hanging on the wall behind them, black lettering spelled out “We the People.” In front of them sat and stood about a hundred community members, some wearing yellow T-shirts that read “Project Hazelnot,” with a red circle and backslash for the “o.”
Their shirts were a message to the developers of Project Hazelnut, who want to build a massive data center complex on the township’s coal-rich plateau. The proposal includes plans for 15 data center buildings and an electrical substation across a nearly 1,300-acre site.
The project came up against what may be its final barrier that night on June 8 when the board voted on a zoning ordinance that would put a pause on data center applications in the town for 180 days. During this time, the board plans to update its zoning rules and add specific restrictions for data centers.
Hazle Township’s push for a local pause came weeks after state legislators introduced a Senate bill that would block data center development for three years. That bill is part of a wider backlash against plans for the controversial facilities cropping up in residential and rural areas across the state and the country."
