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Archbald, Pennsylvania, is a small borough with fewer than 8,000 residents. It is a quiet, close-knit community. However, this town may soon be home to five massive data centers. When these projects are finished, they will rank among the largest facilities of their kind in the entire world. Local officials are eager to welcome these new businesses, but many residents feel deep concern about the potential consequences. They worry that these huge facilities will strain the local electric grid and drive up electricity bills for everyone living there. Conversely, town leaders argue that the projects offer a lucrative source of tax revenue that could save the town from financial trouble.
According to reports from DeSmog, the five planned data centers would cover a vast area. Together, they would spread across 51 separate buildings. The total floor space for these structures is projected to be 13 million square feet. This is an enormous amount of space, equivalent to many large cities. Furthermore, these buildings will require an incredible amount of energy to operate. The largest single data center in the plan is reported to need 1.6 gigawatts of electricity. To put this number in perspective, this amount is roughly equal to the total capacity of the largest gas-fired power plant currently operating in the state of Pennsylvania.
To make these massive structures possible, developers have been lobbying local officials to change the rules. Specifically, they asked for permission to build taller buildings in industrial zones. In November, the borough council agreed to this request. They raised the height limit for buildings from 55 feet to 90 feet. This decision was made despite objections from many local residents who felt it was too much change. The increase in height is necessary to accommodate the large ventilation systems and cooling equipment required by the servers inside.
Tamara Misewicz-Healey, a resident of Archbald, spoke passionately during a town meeting about the situation. She expressed her deep frustration with how the local government is handling the situation. "Here in Archbald, we are fighting against our local government," she said. Her voice was filled with emotion as she added, "Honestly, it's broken my heart." Her words reflect the sentiment of many neighbors who feel that their community's voice is being ignored in favor of corporate interests.