Story Summary

• Brockway Township’s data center ordinance is expected to be ready for formal public comment at the township planning commission’s Oct. 8 meeting.
• That ordinance has been addressed by the township’s lawyer, and planning commissioners ironed out specifics at a Sept. 16 workshop.
• The ordinance includes requirements for any future data center applicants to comply with vegetative screening around the whole development, noise and lighting constraints, requirements on the type of water-cooling system, and would require they shoulder any costs to improve electrical infrastructure to serve the data center. 

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BROCKWAY TWP. — Residents may soon view Brockway Township’s data center ordinance, after planning commissioners ironed out details of that ordinance at a Sept. 16 work session.

The ordinance must first garner county planning commission approval, but it is lining up for the Brockway Township Planning Commission to hear public comments at its Oct. 8 meeting. 

From there, the ordinance would be on track for final approval by the township board of trustees in November, coinciding with the township’s expiration of the one-year moratorium on data centers. 

The township, by law, must generally make room for data center development, even if no developer approaches the township with plans. 

In its current state, the ordinance includes several provisions addressing any effects a development would have on the rural nature of the township. A screen of evergreen or other vegetation would be required around the entire perimeter of the facility, and lighting must not bleed from the parcel it’s located on. 

A common provision in these types of ordinances, Brockway’s current ordinance includes a noise constraint, which is likely to be either 40 dBA or 45 dBA, for any development. 

The ordinance further addresses water use and electrical impacts on the community. Any data center development would be required to use a closed-loop or zero-loop water cooling system, where the center recirculates water and is supposed to minimize water loss via evaporation.

Brockway’s ordinance also requires the applicant to provide proof via its utility provider that there is sufficient electrical capacity available to power the data center. If not, the ordinance requires the applicant cover all costs associated with improving the infrastructure to serve the data center.

The ordinance limits potential data center development to land between M-19 to the west, Cork Road to the east, M-136 to the south, and Wilkes road to the north.