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Beaver County lays out six-step approach to potential data-center development, emphasizes local control and public outreach
Summary
The county economic-development office outlined a proactive policy approach to incoming data-center interest: require public education (tours, town halls), independent study of water and power impacts, insist developers bring their own power (two feeds), limit water-intensive cooling options, and prioritize community fit. Staff said the county remains neutral but will enforce strict local standards.
Beaver County officials presented a proactive framework they plan to use if data-center developers approach the county, stressing public education, technical review and strong local standards to protect county resources.
The economic-development director, speaking in a public forum, said the county will require early and transparent engagement from any data-center developer. "Public education must come first, and we need to be completely transparent as we go about this," the director said, outlining plans for tours, monthly town halls, open houses, and independent technical analysis.
Staff emphasized six primary questions the county will press on any developer: how much water will the facility use, where is the power coming from and how much will it require, what jobs and local benefits will be created, what community risks exist (noise, traffic, visual impact), how much local control remains, and what conditions the county will require to approve a project. The director said many modern data centers use little or no water, while some older models use large volumes for water-cooled systems; as an example, staff referenced a data center that used a one-time charge of roughly 600,000 gallons during construction.
County officials said they will expect developers to provide independent water and power studies, bring supplemental power (and ideally two independent power feeds) so local rates and the grid are not adversely affected, and demonstrate how they will mitigate noise and visual impacts. The office also signaled it will favor developers that offer meaningful community investment and that meet the county's local-fit standards.
Commissioners and staff discussed timing for public outreach: the office plans an initial round of public information the week after the meeting and committed to arranging additional tours for civic leaders, religious leaders and other community stakeholders.
Next steps: the economic-development office will begin public information posts, plan tours and coordinate with Planning and Zoning on substantive review criteria for any future proposal.
