Pennsylvania Township Officials Share Data Center Regulation Strategies
Township officials gather to share strategies for regulating data center development as communities face growing pressure from tech infrastructure proposals.
HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA — Township supervisors from across Pennsylvania gathered this week to discuss strategies for regulating data center development, with officials from Upper Merion Township sharing lessons learned from their recent experience navigating zoning challenges.
The discussion took place Tuesday during the Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors annual conference, where local officials exchanged approaches for managing the growing demand for data center facilities statewide.
Upper Merion’s Proactive Approach
Bill Jenaway, vice chairperson of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors, described his community’s efforts to establish regulations before development proposals arrived. Upper Merion Township, located in the Philadelphia suburbs, experiences significant seasonal population fluctuations due to the King of Prussia Mall, which draws more than 350,000 people during holiday shopping seasons.
“Combined with about 35,000 residents and 70,000 workers, it temporarily becomes the third-largest municipality in Pennsylvania,” Jenaway said during the conference discussion.
When township officials learned last year that a developer was considering sites for data centers, they began amending their zoning ordinance. The township consulted experts and reached out to leaders in Loudoun County, Virginia, known as the “Data Center Capital of the World” with nearly 200 facilities handling a significant portion of global internet traffic.
Timing Challenges Under State Law
Despite their preparation efforts, Upper Merion officials encountered an unexpected setback. Just 10 days before their new regulations were scheduled for board approval, a developer submitted nearly a dozen proposals for data centers in areas zoned for office and industrial use.
“We thought what we had was a very solid ordinance,” Jenaway said. However, under Pennsylvania’s land use laws, the new ordinance would not apply to those existing proposals once adopted, according to Upper Merion Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tina Garzillo.
“You want to be able to set the rules,” Garzillo told her fellow township leaders, highlighting the need to establish regulations before development proposals are submitted.
Statewide Opposition Concerns
The conference discussion comes as data center proposals across Pennsylvania have drawn significant opposition from residents. Community members have raised concerns about noise pollution, air quality impacts, and increased demand on local water resources.
Opposition groups have pointed to experiences in other regions, including Loudoun County and Memphis, Tennessee, where similar facilities have been developed. These communities have provided case studies for Pennsylvania townships seeking to understand potential impacts and regulatory approaches.
Data centers, which house thousands of computer servers to support internet infrastructure, have expanded rapidly alongside growing digital demands. Township officials attending the conference emphasized the need for proactive planning to address community concerns while managing development pressures.
The Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors conference provided a forum for local officials to share regulatory strategies and discuss best practices for balancing economic development opportunities with community interests.
