Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Advisory board flags water and infrastructure questions as Bitfarms data-center plan is reviewed
Loading...
Summary
County planning members and the Open Space Advisory Board raised questions about a proposed Bitfarms data-center near Murray Road — particularly water use, electricity and local impacts — while the County Planning Commission begins a multi-month fact-finding review.
County planning reviewers and members of Carbon County’s Open Space Advisory Board said they are scrutinizing a proposed Bitfarms data-center that would be sited near Murray Road, raising questions about water use, electricity demand and potential impacts on borough residents.
A County Planning Commission member, speaking to the advisory board during its meeting, said the commission is reviewing plans after a recusal by the regular reviewer, Ivan Meiksel. "We have someone else reviewing the plans," the member said, adding that plan review "may take one or two months." The speaker said both the planning commission and the borough of Nesquehoning are in a fact-finding stage.
Speakers highlighted an apparent discrepancy in reported water use. The Planning Commission member read a news report that said the project would use "3,000 gallons a day," and added, "The average data center uses 300,000 gallons a day." Board members cautioned that actual water demand depends on the type of cooling system used: "there's evaporative cooling, and that's, like, on the larger ends, but there's also coil cooling ... but then, like, also brings down the amount of water used," Jared Soto, the county’s economic development specialist, told the meeting.
Members pressed for clarity on where the project would draw water and whether local supply and sewage systems could absorb additional demand. A planning member said he was trying to confirm the intended water source and asked staff to clarify the quantity and source of water proposed.
Board members emphasized that municipal zoning and the borough review process remain central. Planning staff noted they would continue reviewing the submission; no formal approvals or permit decisions were reported at the advisory-board meeting.
Next steps: the Planning Commission review will continue, board members said, and the commission’s reviewer expects to return with additional information in the coming weeks.
