A Pennsylvania county rejected a rezoning plan for a data center on Tuesday, marking the latest instance of local resistance to the growing, energy-intensive industry.
Montour County’s three commissioners unanimously opposed Talen Energy’s request to rezone over 800 acres from agricultural to industrial use. This would have permitted a data center and the expansion of a nearby coal and gas-fired power plant to power the site.
Commission Chair Rebecca Dressler stated the project lacked community-wide benefits and that Talen Energy did not sufficiently justify the rezoning need.
“No evidence was provided demonstrating that the benefits outweigh documented and foreseeable public harms,” Dressler noted in a statement recorded by an audience member and reported by Inside Climate News.
Talen Energy expressed intent to pursue a revised data center project in Montour County, promising to integrate community feedback and address local priorities.
Critics, some expecting approval, were surprised and pleased by the decision. Ginny Kerslake from Food & Water Watch described it as a “David and Goliath” victory.
Local Pushback on Data Centers
This decision adds to a trend of U.S. local governments rejecting data centers, as noted by Mitch Jones of Food & Water Watch, which advocates a national moratorium on new projects. Concerns include increased electricity bills, significant water usage, and health impacts from air pollution.
Recent successful local opposition has been seen in Chandler, Arizona, and Naperville, Illinois. Pennsylvania has become a focal point for such resistance, partly due to its history with fracking, according to Jones.
Data Center Watch reports 20 data center projects were blocked or delayed in the second quarter of 2025, a 125% increase from the previous year, with 53 local groups targeting 30 projects nationwide.
Jackson Morris from the Natural Resources Defense Council remarked that Montour County’s decision reflected the local opinion, emphasizing, “The residents made pretty clear where they stood on this.”
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org