Commissioner urges municipalities to consider ordinances to protect farmland from solar farms and data centers

A commissioner at the Blair County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 19, 2026 urged local municipalities to consider ordinances to protect farmland from encroachment by solar farms and data centers.

The commissioner said Blair County has invested in farmland preservation and that recent interest from renewable-energy developers and data-center operators is putting some preserved parcels at risk. "We have lots of farms and lots of good monies have gone towards preserving property, but we now see the intrusion of these solar farms and data centers," the commissioner said, urging boroughs and townships to look into regulatory options so the county does not lose farmland.

County officials did not take formal action on the comment during the meeting; the remark was made during the commissioners' comment period. The commissioner specifically suggested that municipalities — boroughs, townships and the city of Altoona — consider ordinances to limit conversions or require protections for preserved parcels.

The comment frames an unresolved policy choice for local governments: whether to allow solar and data-center development on or near preserved farmland and, if so, how to set local rules that balance renewable energy goals with farmland protection. No municipal ordinances or countywide regulatory changes were proposed or voted on at the March 19 meeting.

The board's discussion in future meetings or formal referrals to planning staff could determine whether the concern leads to model ordinances, preservation easement reviews or other policy proposals.