LOCAL PROJECTS & PROPOSALS

Poconos Data Center Projects & Proposals

Tracking what’s happening in our communities from data-center proposals to transmission upgrades.

Last reviewed:
4 Documented data-center proposals 2 Major transmission projects 2 Watchlist / rumor sites 4 Local policy updates

How we categorize projects

Confirmed Proposal

A proposal appears in public filings or official records. This does not mean approved or under construction.

Related Infrastructure

Transmission or utility infrastructure relevant to regional growth. Not itself a data center.

Watchlist

Documented land or developer history makes a site worth watching. No data-center application identified.

Community Rumor

A claim is circulating locally, but no documentary evidence in the reviewed material confirms it.

Legal Challenge

An ordinance or approval enabling a proposal is being formally contested. This is not a court finding.

Showing all 8 projects and sites

Scale illustration · not a project rendering
Confirmed Proposal

Smithfield Gateway Data Center

Smithfield Township, Monroe County

One proposed two-story building with 500,000 sq. ft. of total floor area and a ground footprint of 250,000 sq. ft. Conditional use is not construction approval.

sq. ft. · two floors
500,000
proposed load
250 MW
employees indicated
40–60
Conditional-use review ongoing

Conditional-use application under review. The October 28 Board hearing was scheduled to address party-status requests under an October 21 procedural agreement. The outcome has not yet been independently verified, and no subsequent substantive hearing date has been confirmed in the reviewed official records.

Check source
Details & what we know

Conditional use pending

Developer
DEPG Mosier Associates LP / DEPG of Shawnee II LP
Site / building
One two-story building; 250,000-sq.-ft. footprint, plus substation and equipment yard.
Power demand
250 MW proposed by the applicant. The township engineer’s Sept. 11 review says the submitted Step 1 Detailed Load Study identified thermal criteria violations associated with 150 MVA and 250 MVA load additions. The review states that reinforcement work needed to mitigate those violations will be identified by PPL.
Water demand
Actual demand has not been established. The township engineer’s Sept. 11 review says project-specific water capacity has not yet been demonstrated. The applicant proposes closed-loop and/or air-cooled systems and identifies commercial water hauling as a possible fallback if adequate utility capacity is unavailable.
Permanent jobs
Application materials indicate 40–60 employees across three rotating shifts. Per-shift staffing has not been provided.
Approval stage
Conditional-use review. Land-development approval would still be required before construction.

What we know

The August revision replaces the earlier two-building concept. Applicant figures describe the proposal, not guaranteed operating outcomes.

The acoustical evaluation reviewed by the township engineer describes each data center building as equipped with 24 emergency generators, 30 chillers and 12 rooftop HVAC units, plus five large transformers at the proposed substation.

What remains unknown

Final engineering, actual water demand and project-specific supply, required grid reinforcement, sound-model compliance and construction approval remain unresolved.

The township engineer says the acoustical evaluation does not include the C-weighted sound analysis required by the township ordinance and appears not to include the substation as a modeled noise source. Generator and sound-barrier height details also remain unresolved.

Power demand · Water supply · Noise · Land use

Sources

Sources reviewed

Scale illustration · not a project rendering
Confirmed Proposal Legal Challenge

Pennsylvania Glacial Till Data Center

Caughbaugh Road, Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County

WVIA reports an eight-building campus on roughly 100 acres within a larger ~520-acre overlay district. Residents are challenging the zoning ordinance.

campus acres reported
~100
buildings reported
8
overlay acres
~520
Zoning challenge — awaiting verified update

A continued Zoning Hearing Board hearing concerning the validity challenge to Ordinance No. 580 was listed for October 29, 2026. No ruling or subsequent hearing date has yet been independently verified. The legal challenge should not be described as resolved without supporting official records.

Check Tobyhanna Township for hearing updates
Details & what we know

Overlay adopted; challenge filed

Developer / owner
Pennsylvania Glacial Till LLC
Site / building
Eight buildings on ~100 acres, per WVIA. The township notice identifies three parcels totaling about 520 acres.
Power demand
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Water demand
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Permanent jobs
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Approval stage
Ordinance 580 overlay adopted; substantive validity challenge filed. Final land-development approval not established.

What we know

The township notice documents residents’ allegations of unlawful spot zoning. Those allegations are contested claims, not a legal finding.

What remains unknown

Final design, utility demand and an official disposition of the challenge have not been established in the reviewed records.

Private wells · Forest and wetlands · Rural zoning

Sources

Sources reviewed

Scale illustration · not a project rendering
Confirmed Proposal

Pocono Manor Data Center

Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County

DRBC identifies a proposed hyperscale campus on approximately 193 acres, with multi-story buildings. Dedicated transmission planning is underway.

campus acres
~193
buildings proposed
Multi-story
power demand
Unknown
Related infrastructure

PPL identifies a data-center customer for its planned 5.9-mile transmission line.

See related project
Details & what we know

Proposal documented; utility planning

Developer
Pocono Manor Investors
Site / building
~193-acre campus with multi-story buildings, as identified by DRBC.
Power demand
Not publicly disclosed in the sources reviewed.
Water demand
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Permanent jobs
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Approval stage
Zoning action reported; final design and construction approval not established.

What we know

The campus appears in DRBC’s proposed-project inventory. PPL explicitly identifies the new transmission customer as a data center.

What remains unknown

Final building design, power and water requirements, permanent staffing and construction approval.

Land use · Utility infrastructure · Water demand

Sources

Sources reviewed

Scale illustration · not a project rendering
Confirmed Proposal Appeal Pending

Project Hazelnut Data Center

Hazle Township, Luzerne County · Wider Northeast PA / Pocono foothills

Recent coverage of a “Pocono foothills data center project” refers to Project Hazelnut, a NorthPoint Development proposal for 15 data-center buildings on roughly 1,300 acres in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. Hazle Township denied the land-development plan. A further appeal by NP Hazleton Holdings 1, LLC is active in Commonwealth Court at 827 CD 2026.

campus acres
~1,300
buildings proposed
15
power demand
Not publicly disclosed
Commonwealth Court appeal active

Reporting describes an earlier county-court appeal being denied. The official appellate docket identifies a May 26, 2026 order in Luzerne County case 2025-13744 and a June 10 appeal by NP Hazleton Holdings 1, LLC. Commonwealth Court case 827 CD 2026 is listed as Active as of October 30. State environmental permitting is a separate process.

$165 million community-benefit commitment

NorthPoint says its current package includes a $45 million resident grant fund providing $10,000 to each eligible Hazle Township household, a $15 million community-support fund, and $105 million for the township over 15 years. The developer says the household grants would be paid upon issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the first data-center building.

Details & what we know

Land-development denial · Commonwealth Court appeal active

Developer
NorthPoint Development
Site / building
Approximately 1,300 acres with 15 proposed data-center buildings, a substation and switchyard, and four ancillary buildings. At a February 2026 DEP hearing, NorthPoint described roughly 616 acres as the developed campus area with the remaining acreage left undeveloped.
Power demand
Not publicly disclosed in the sources reviewed. NorthPoint says necessary power capacity has been secured and that project-related transmission upgrades would be privately funded, but the reviewed sources do not establish a megawatt customer-load figure.
Water demand / cooling
NorthPoint says industrial cooling would use treated wastewater from the Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority rather than local drinking water or wells. The developer says cooling-water use would be seasonal, with air cooling used during colder months. Domestic water would still be supplied separately. These are developer-stated design plans, not an independent finding that there can be no water impact.
Permanent jobs
NorthPoint currently projects 950+ permanent roles and 1,300+ construction jobs. These are developer projections, not realized employment figures.
Approval stage
Hazle Township denied the land-development plan in November 2025. The Commonwealth Court docket lists NP Hazleton Holdings 1, LLC’s appeal from the May 26, 2026 order in Luzerne County case 2025-13744. The further appeal, 827 CD 2026, was filed June 10 and remains Active. DEP’s environmental permit reviews and the township’s proposed zoning regulations are separate processes; neither establishes final construction authorization.

What we know

Project Hazelnut is a documented NorthPoint Development proposal for a large data-center campus in Hazle Township. The developer continues to pursue the project after the township denied its land-development plan, and state environmental permitting has proceeded separately from the township litigation. Hazle Township held a public meeting on proposed data-center zoning regulations October 29. That regulatory process does not resolve Commonwealth Court appeal 827 CD 2026.

What remains unknown

The outcome of Commonwealth Court appeal 827 CD 2026, final township approvals, ultimate tenant or operator, publicly disclosed electrical demand, final permit status and construction authorization have not been established.

Land use · Grid demand · Water · Community benefits · Legal appeal

Sources

Sources reviewed

Regional landscape · not site photography
Related Infrastructure

Shawnee–Walker 69-kV Project

Middle Smithfield, Lehman, Delaware and Dingman Townships · Monroe & Pike Counties

Approximately 30 miles of transmission infrastructure. FirstEnergy cites reliability and existing and future load growth; this is not a data-center proposal.

transmission corridor
~30 miles
line voltage
69 kV
Monroe and Pike
2 counties
Public comment deadline

Comment period ended September 7, 2026 for the Bushkill Falls–Birchwood Lakes stormwater permit, as reported by Pike County Courier. Check DEP for subsequent permit updates.

Check source
Details & what we know

Transmission permitting / development

Utility
Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission (MAIT), a FirstEnergy subsidiary
Route
Shawnee to Walker; the regional system includes Bushkill Falls and Birchwood Lakes substations.
Power demand
Not applicable: this entry tracks a transmission line, not a customer load.
Water demand
Not applicable to data-center cooling; construction and stormwater impacts are separately reviewed.
Permanent jobs
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Approval stage
Transmission development and segment-specific permitting.

What we know

FirstEnergy describes a capacity and reliability project. No evidence in the reviewed official project description establishes a data-center-specific purpose.

What remains unknown

How added capacity could affect future development is not a confirmed customer commitment.

Transmission corridor · Wetlands · Stormwater

Sources

Sources reviewed

Regional landscape · not site photography
Related Infrastructure

Pocono Manor 138-kV Project

Tobyhanna, Pocono and Jackson Townships · Monroe County

PPL plans approximately 5.9 miles of new transmission line plus substation and switchyard infrastructure. The utility explicitly identifies a data-center customer.

new transmission line
~5.9 miles
line voltage
138 kV
new right-of-way
~100 ft
Tentative construction

April 2029–March 2030. Pennsylvania PUC approval is required.

See related project
Details & what we know

Data-center connection confirmed

Utility
PPL Electric Utilities
Route / footprint
Potential routes cross three Monroe County townships. New corridor right-of-way is approximately 100 feet wide.
Power demand
Customer demand not publicly stated; 138 kV describes line voltage, not demand.
Water demand
Not applicable to the transmission entry.
Permanent jobs
Not established in the sources reviewed.
Approval stage
Utility planning; PUC approval required. Construction timing is tentative.

What we know

Unlike Shawnee–Walker, PPL explicitly describes a data-center connection. The line and campus are separate entries, not two data-center proposals.

What remains unknown

Final approvals and construction dates may change.

New corridor · Landowner easements · Grid connection

Sources

Sources reviewed

Landscape illustration · not site photography
Watchlist

Dingman Towne Center Property

Route 739 & Log Tavern Road · Dingman Township, Pike County

A historical DEPG project summary describes a roughly 280-acre assemblage for retail, medical and residential uses. A data-center plan has not been established.

acres in historical record
~280
identified for a data center
No filing
Watching future filings

Historical land and developer connections do not establish a data-center proposal.

Details & what we know

No data-center application identified

Developer connection
DEPG development interests, as described in the 2018 TIF document.
Site / building
~280 acres assembled in 2014, according to the historical developer summary.
Power demand
No data-center proposal identified; demand unknown.
Water demand
No data-center proposal identified; demand unknown.
Permanent jobs
No data-center proposal identified; staffing unknown.
Approval stage
Watchlist only. Historical mixed-use development is not data-center approval.

What we know

The historical record supports a mixed-use development history and DEPG connection. It does not verify current ownership of every parcel or a data-center plan.

What remains unknown

No public data-center application, named operator or confirmed development plan was identified in the sources provided and reviewed.

Future filings · Land use · Developer connections

Sources

Sources reviewed

Regional landscape · not site photography
Community Rumor

Former Tamiment / Eagle Village Area

Lehman Township, Pike County

A community report suggests property near Eagle Village and the former Tamiment/Unity House resort could be considered for data-center development. No public filing reviewed identifies a data-center project at this location. Official records do document redevelopment interest in the former Tamiment property, while a separate large industrial site is being marketed in the surrounding Bushkill Falls Road corridor.

community report
Unverified
data-center filing
None identified
documented land activity
Redevelopment inquiry
Evidence status

Development activity is documented; a data-center connection is not.

Details & what we know

No data-center application identified

Developer / operator
No data-center developer or operator has been identified. In July 2024, representatives of Aldridge Chasewater LLC told Lehman Township supervisors they were conducting due diligence on the Tamiment/Unity House property. At that time, plans had not been decided and the property had not been purchased.
Site / building
No confirmed data-center site boundary or building plan has been identified. Lehman Township described the Tamiment/Unity House area discussed in 2024 as Industrial / Light Manufacturing.
Power demand
No data-center proposal identified; demand unknown.
Water demand
No data-center proposal identified; demand unknown.
Permanent jobs
No data-center proposal identified; staffing unknown.
Approval stage
Community rumor only. No data-center conditional-use application, land-development plan or project approval has been identified.

What we know

Lehman Township minutes from July 2024 document a redevelopment inquiry involving the former Tamiment/Unity House property. Representatives of Aldridge Chasewater LLC said they were conducting due diligence, while township officials discussed possible residential and medical uses. No data center was mentioned.

Separately, Penn’s Northeast is marketing a 232-acre, two-parcel industrial development site on Bushkill Falls Road in Lehman Township. The listing describes the site as suitable for substantial development but does not identify a proposed use or data-center developer.

Lehman Township later adopted Ordinance 155 regulating data centers. The township’s 2025 zoning discussion contemplated data centers as a conditional use in industrial zoning. That establishes a regulatory pathway, not a project at this location.

What remains unknown

The reviewed records do not establish whether the Penn’s Northeast industrial listing is part of the former Tamiment/Unity House property or the land referenced in the community report. No reviewed public record identifies a data-center applicant, operator, utility request, site plan or development application for Eagle Village, the former Tamiment property or the nearby industrial site.

Public records · Industrial land · Redevelopment · Unverified claim

Sources

Sources reviewed

TWO LINES. DIFFERENT CONTEXT.

Infrastructure is part of the story.
Its purpose matters.

Shawnee–Walker

FirstEnergy describes a reliability and load-growth project. A data-center-specific purpose is not established in the reviewed record.

FirstEnergy’s explanation

Pocono Manor

PPL explicitly identifies a data center as the new customer. That connection is documented, not inferred.

PPL’s explanation

LOCAL RULES & DECISIONS

Policy shapes what can happen next.

Zoning rules provide context. They are not additional data-center projects or permission to start construction.

Lehman Township

Ordinance 155

Adopted November 20, 2025. Township-wide regulations establish a permitting framework for data centers; the ordinance does not identify or approve a specific data-center project.

Official minutes

Smithfield Township

Ordinance No. 268 · Curative amendment completed

Adopted August 12, 2026. Data-center uses are limited to conditional use in the new H-1 Heavy Industrial district. The township now lists the curative-amendment process as a closed project.

Township project status

Tobyhanna Township

Ordinance 580 overlay

The Pennsylvania Glacial Till overlay is subject to a documented validity challenge. The challenge concerns zoning, not a finding that construction is approved.

Official challenge notice

Tobyhanna Township

Pocono Manor zoning pathway

December 2025 zoning action is reported for Pocono Manor. Zoning permission and land-development approval are separate steps.

Secondary reporting · independent media

KEEP THE RECORD CLEAR

Know something we don’t?

A public filing, meeting notice or other credible source can help fill a gap. A link and a little context are more useful than another rumor.

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