Archbald, Pennsylvania. Borough of Archbald
Archbald, Pennsylvania, a borough of fewer than 8,000 people, may soon be home to five massive data centers that, when completed, will rank among the largest now in the world. While residents are worried that data centers will strain the electric grid and drive up power bills, officials are clearing the way for these projects, which are a potentially lucrative source of tax revenue.
Together, the five data centers will sprawl across 51 buildings with a combined 13 million square feet of floor space, DeSmog reports. The projects will also consume an enormous amount of energy. The largest of these data centers will reportedly require 1.6 gigawatts of electricity, roughly the capacity of the largest gas-fired power plant in the state.
To reach the massive scale desired, developers in Archbald have lobbied local officials to raise the height limit for buildings in industrial zones, DeSmog reports. In November, the borough council upped the limit from 55 feet to 90 feet, over the objections of many residents.
“Here in Archbald, we are fighting against our local government,” said resident Tamara Misewicz-Healey in a borough meeting. “Honestly, it’s broken my heart.”
Borough manager Dan Markey said data centers will be a source of much needed income. “Financially, this could be a complete game changer for Archbald,” he told DeSmog. Markey said that a single data center could generate more than $4 million yearly in property taxes for the borough, more than 60 percent of its yearly budget.
Pennsylvania has, in recent years, become a hotspot for data centers thanks to its generous tax breaks for tech companies and ample reserves of natural gas. By one estimate, 32 data centers have been proposed in the state and are now awaiting approval. Not all planned data centers will come online, however. As public opposition has grown nationally, so has the number of cancelled projects.
In western Pennsylvania, at least five new data centers are planned, leaving locals on edge, Yale E360 recently reported. Experts are predicting hundreds or thousands of new natural gas wells will be drilled in the region to meet the surging demand for power from gas generators.
Nationally, data centers are driving an uptick in power demand, according to the Energy Information Administration. Analysts say that if demand continues to surge, gas-fired power plants will likely supply the needed energy. But if demand outpaces supply, they warn, “the stresses on the grid would be evident in spikes in wholesale power prices or even periods of rolling blackouts.”
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