Carbon County residents urge commissioners to press state for data-center water and power controls
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Summary
Speakers representing local group(s) urged Carbon County commissioners to back state bills and local zoning to limit data centers’ withdrawals and energy impacts, warning of threats to drinking water and higher electricity rates; commissioners said they would research bills and consider letters of support.
Speakers representing a local advocacy group pressed the Carbon County Board of Commissioners to push for stronger local and state controls on proposed data centers, saying the projects could strain drinking-water supplies and raise electricity rates.
"Drinking water is more valuable to a residence than artificial intelligence or GPT and it must be protected," said Steve Chuckra, identifying himself as representing Safe Carbon County, during public comment. Chuckra said Pennsylvania allows business water withdrawals up to 100,000 gallons per day (3,000,000 gallons per month) without a permit and said engineers for a proposed facility requested "1 to 2,000,000 gallons per day" from a local water authority.
Brandon Fogel, a resident, urged the county to help townships adopt zoning that would regulate water withdrawals, noise, light pollution and buffer distances, and to make developers’ approval promises enforceable. "Residents need to know exactly how the data center's use of electricity and water will affect their community," Fogel said.
Linda Chrisman, identified in the record as president of an organization, asked the board to support several state bills — she named proposals by Senator Dave Argyle and by Senator Boscola — that would require pre-application meetings with local officials and establish guardrails on electric rates and permit processes. "We need across-the-aisle cooperation to get this done," she said.
Chair responded that county planning staff and the planning commission have prepared guidelines to help townships assess data-center proposals, and that commissioners would seek more information about the bills and may draft letters of support after meeting with the senators named by commenters.
The transcript includes claims about specific withdrawal requests and a numerical power-use estimate described by speakers as enough energy to supply county households for a week; those quantitative statements were presented by commenters and were not verified during the meeting.
Next steps recorded in the meeting: commissioners said they would call the senators referenced, obtain research on the bills and consider a sit-down with sponsors to determine whether the county will send formal letters of support or pursue coordinated zoning guidance for townships.