Echoes of the Past in Pennsylvania Coal Towns’ Fight Against Data Centers
Key takeaways
- 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 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.
- 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.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
Republish Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, an organizer for Food & Water Watch, speaks at the Pennsylvania State Capitol rotunda during a data center moratorium rally. Credit: Courtesy of Food & Water Watch Related Pennsylvania Activists Urge Lawmakers to Help Curb Soaring Electric Bills Pennsylvania’s Governor Has a Plan to Make Data Centers Bring Their Own Energy. Now Comes the Hard Part. An Outpouring of Frustration Over Pennsylvania’s Rapid Data Center Growth Share This Article Republish Most Popular Can Clusters of Human-Constructed Ponds in the Arizona Desert Save a Threatened Frog? A Pipeline Company Says It Will Protect the Environment in North Carolina. Its Record in Tennessee Says Otherwise. New Florida Law Bans Local Net-Zero Emissions Policies 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.