4
sites sought to add data center capacity in Q3 in the records reviewed: 3 in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro, two zoning challenges seeking to allow data center campuses and an expansion at TierPoint's existing campus, plus 1 around Harrisburg, a land development plan, and none in Berks. The metro-wide totals are unknown.
38+
local governments adopted data center zoning rules, a moratorium or a finding that their zoning was invalid for data centers in Q3 in the records reviewed: 12 in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro, plus 11 in Berks and 15 around Harrisburg.
Two developers asked townships on the Lehigh Valley's outer edge to open their zoning to campuses of 700 acres or more and TierPoint won approval for a substation at its existing campus, while at least 38 local governments wrote data center rules of their own.
Operating facilities on the map (7)
The small hollow grey dots are data centers listed in the public PeeringDB facility list, each linked to its record. Listings marked closed are left off. A listed building is in no count on this page.
| Operator | Facility | City | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colocation America Corporation | PDC1 - 9999 Hamilton blvd | Breinigsville | peeringdb.com/fac/3433 |
| Colocation America Corporation | PDC3 - 3949 Schelden Cir | Bethlehem | peeringdb.com/fac/3435 |
| Directlink Technologies Corp. | Direct LTx Reading | Reading | peeringdb.com/fac/9925 |
| Omega Systems Consultants, LLC | Omega PA1 | Reading | peeringdb.com/fac/16943 |
| TierPoint, LLC | TierPoint Allentown-TekPark | Breinigsville | peeringdb.com/fac/3664 |
| TierPoint, LLC | TierPoint Bethlehem | Bethlehem | peeringdb.com/fac/11363 |
| TierPoint, LLC | TierPoint Lehigh Valley | Bethlehem | peeringdb.com/fac/3665 |
What happened this quarter
Four sites sought to add capacity, two of them through zoning challenges
Four sites sought to add data center capacity in the Q3 records reviewed. Two on the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro's outer edge were zoning challenges, not building plans. Slate Belt Holdings asked Upper Mount Bethel's zoning board on July 23 to allow a campus on 754 acres, and DTA Alliance and Murphy's Meadow filed a curative amendment in Lower Towamensing on September 1 for about 4.5 million square feet on 700 acres. At TierPoint's existing TekPark campus, Upper Macungie approved a 100 MVA substation on August 6 to support its data center operations. Around Harrisburg it was Highlands East. No Berks County Planning Commission review from January 2025 to September 23 names a data center. The metro-wide totals are unknown.
Highlands East puts 150 megawatts on each building
The Highlands East plan, received by Dauphin County on August 24, shows two buildings of 372,131 square feet on 157 acres off Highland Street in Swatara Township, each labelled 150 critical MW and 217.5 gross MW. The county's review asked for a noise study, a water supply study and a decommissioning plan. Its developers presented it to the township planning commission on September 8 and said they were not seeking approval that night. A second plan, Highlands West, was on the October 13 agenda, and its plan set, revised October 6, shows three buildings of 409,600 square feet, each labelled 225 critical MW. No record gives its filing date.
PAX-1 reaches final plans as Project Atlas heads to a state hearing
Middlesex supervisors approved the PAX-1 Phase 2 preliminary plan on July 1, and on September 2 the Phase 3 preliminary plan, the Phase 1B final plan and the project's community benefits and master developers agreements, with one supervisor absent. Cumberland County received the Phase 2 final plan on August 28, for the five or so data center buildings first filed in a December 2025 preliminary plan. No township or county record states its megawatts. In South Whitehall, Project Atlas, three data center buildings of 492,285 square feet each, was resubmitted on August 13, and the state environment department set a November 23 public hearing on its water obstruction and encroachment and NPDES permits.
At least 38 local governments wrote data center rules
At least 38 local governments adopted data center zoning rules, a moratorium or a finding that their zoning was invalid for data centers in Q3. Reading's council declared its zoning invalid for data centers on July 13, 7-0 according to draft minutes, so it need not consider data center zoning applications for 180 days. Steelton borough (record) and Bern, Rye and Amity townships took similar steps. Allentown removed the data center use from its IG district on August 5. Two city plans, at 1024 North Bradford Street in Allentown and 2184 Industrial Drive in Bethlehem, were in the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's September 22 review packet, but no city record dates their filing.
The quarter's filings
| Site | Square feet | Estimated cost, as filed | MW, as filed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | |||
| Slate Belt HoldingsUpper Mount Bethel. 23 data center pads on the zoning plan | 4,634,500 | TBA | TBA |
| DTA Alliance and Murphy's MeadowLower Towamensing, Carbon County. Building count not stated | 4,500,000 | About $12 billion | TBA |
| TierPoint TekParkUpper Macungie. Expansion at an existing campus, a 100 MVA substation | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton total, 3 sites | 9,134,5002 of 3 sites | About $12 billion (1 of 3 sites) | TBA |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | |||
| Highlands EastSwatara Township. 2 buildings | 744,262 | TBA | 150 critical MW per building, 300 in all |
Each site's figures are what its record states. TBA marks a figure the record does not state yet. Estimated cost, as filed, is the filers' own unverified figure, not total project spend. Square feet for Slate Belt Holdings adds 23 pads of 201,500 square feet on its zoning plan. Slate Belt Holdings' plan labels two substation pads 480 MW and TierPoint's substation is rated 100 MVA, different measures, so neither is in the MW column. Highlands East states 150 critical MW for each of two buildings. The strip's four sites are the three Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton sites plus the Harrisburg-Carlisle site. TierPoint's filing date is not on the record, so its substation is dated by its August 6 approval.
Sites filing to add data center capacity, by quarter
A site counts once in a quarter however many permits it files. Planning commission reviews, the record of every land development plan, are complete for some counties and quarters and not others, and zoning challenges go to township boards that publish unevenly, so a quarter can be missing a site and the quarters do not compare. The three metros are kept separate. Q3 2026 is provisional.
Earlier quarters, from the records we have
These counts come from the records we could search for each quarter. Some sources only start partway through, so read them as what the records show, not as a trend.
| Quarter | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: sites filing to add capacity | Reading: sites filing to add capacity | Harrisburg-Carlisle: sites filing to add capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q1 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Q4 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Q3 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q2 2025 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Q1 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Filings, decisions and local actions by quarter
| Quarter | Filings to add data center sites, buildings or power | Decisions, milestones and local actions |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | None with a dated record | None in the records reviewed |
| Q2 2025 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Middlesex Township: PAX-1 data center overlay application, received by Cumberland County | April 2, 2025, Swatara Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance O-2025-01: zoning text amendment adding data center regulations and map amendment rezoning parcels to Mixed Use. Adopted 3-2. May 30, 2025, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 3-2025, Data Center Overlay District on the PAX-1 land. Adopted unanimously. |
| Q3 2025 | None with a dated record | July 9, 2025, New Cumberland Borough Council: Ordinance 727 restating the zoning ordinance, adds Data Center Facility as a conditional use in the Industrial district (veto overridden 6-1 on August 13, 2025). Enacted. August 4, 2025, Palmer Township Board of Supervisors: Zoning Ordinance Amendment - Data Centers. Adopted 5-0. August 19, 2025, Middlesex Township: PAX-1 preliminary subdivision (P25-726), received by Cumberland County. A subdivision plan for the PAX-1 land on Country Club Road. August 25, 2025, West Pennsboro Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2025-03 new zoning ordinance (data centers only in the Industrial zone, with regulations) and Ordinance 2025-04 zoning map. Adopted unanimously. September 4, 2025, Forks Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 409 data centers (ID district). Adopted 5-0. September 12, 2025, Penn Forest Township Board of Supervisors: Declared the zoning ordinance substantively invalid for not permitting data centers, Resolution 9 of 2025 to prepare a curative amendment. Passed. |
| Q4 2025 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. South Whitehall Township: Project Atlas land development application, dated November 30 and December 1 Harrisburg-Carlisle. Middlesex Township: PAX-1 Phase 1B preliminary plan, about six data center buildings (P25-1134), PAX-1 Phase 2 preliminary plan (P25-1176) | October 6, 2025, Southampton Township: Landowner map amendment to expand the data center overlay, received by Cumberland County. A landowner request to rezone land into the data center overlay. October 16, 2025, North Middleton Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2025-06: zoning provisions for data centers (conditional use in C/LI and Industrial) and battery energy storage. Adopted unanimously. November 18, 2025, Carbon County Planning Commission: Carbon Node East preliminary land development plan #4,030. Tabled for engineer review. The developer withdrew it by letter of December 12. December 10, 2025, Middlesex Township: Heckman trust map amendment extending the data center overlay over about 214 acres, received by Cumberland County. A landowner request to rezone land into the data center overlay. December 15, 2025, Monroe Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2025-03: data centers a conditional use in Industrial and Highway Commercial districts. Adopted unanimously. December 16, 2025, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: 7300 Cetronia Road, three data center buildings, 2,600,100 square feet. Regional review. The township planning commission tabled the plan at the applicant's request on December 17. |
| Q1 2026 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Watts Township: Susquehanna Crossings preliminary plan, received by Perry County (26-034) | January 5, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: PAX-1 preliminary subdivision. Approved with conditions, unanimously. January 15, 2026, Cumberland County Planning Commission: Heckman overlay expansion in Middlesex and a Southampton overlay map amendment. Disapproval recommended for both, unanimously. January 20, 2026, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: Project Atlas, six data center buildings. Regional review of the first plan. February 11, 2026, Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-03, Data Center Overlay (Ch. 27 Part 14). Enacted (codification history note). February 27, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: No further zoning amendments or overlays permitting or expanding data centers until a new comprehensive plan. Adopted unanimously, restated August 28. March 2, 2026, Penn Forest Township Board of Supervisors: Enacted Ordinance 1 of 2026: data center regulations and DC Data Center Overlay District. Enacted. March 2, 2026, Wheatfield Township Board of Supervisors: Data Center Resolution amended and approved. Approved with changes. March 4, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: PAX-1 Phase 1A preliminary plan. Approved unanimously. March 5, 2026, Liberty Township (Warren NJ) Governing Body: Ordinance 2026.002: data centers non-permitted in all zones. Adopted. March 24, 2026, Allen Township Board of Supervisors: Prologis amended final plans converting 2500 Liberty Drive to a data center. Approved unanimously. |
| Q2 2026 | None with a dated record | April 2, 2026, Bushkill Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01 zoning amendments including data centers and crypto mining. Adopted unanimously. April 8, 2026, Gratz Borough Council: Data center zoning ordinance (conditional use in I-1, data center overlay), recorded as Ordinance 4826. Motion carried. April 8, 2026, Plainfield Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 432 data centers. Adopted 5-0. April 8, 2026, Washington Township (NC) Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 310 Data Storage Centers. Adopted 2-0. April 14, 2026, Carroll Township Board of Supervisors: Data Center Zoning Ordinance #82 amendment adopted, Resolution 2026-04 conditional use fee adopted. Adopted. April 14, 2026, Town of Phillipsburg Town Council: O2026-08: data centers a prohibited use in all zones. Adopted 5-0 on second reading. April 15, 2026, Maxatawny Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01 data center zoning amendment enacted. Enacted. April 21, 2026, Carbon County Planning Commission: Carbon Node East preliminary plan #4,049. Conditional plan rejection recommended. April 21, 2026, Cumru Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 798 Data Center Overlay District (Titus Station/landfill area) enacted after hearing. Enacted 3-1. May 5, 2026, Centre Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 1-2026 Data Center Ordinance (standalone) adopted. Adopted 3-0. May 5, 2026, Moore Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01 Data Centers. Adopted. May 6, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: PAX-1 Phase 1B preliminary plan, final subdivision and Phase 1A final plan. Approved unanimously. May 11, 2026, North Whitehall Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-7 amending data center ordinance. Adopted 3-0. May 13, 2026, Tilden Township Board of Supervisors: Declared the zoning ordinance invalid for data center use (municipal curative process begun). Approved 3-0. May 18, 2026, Frelinghuysen Township (Warren NJ): Ordinance 2026-07: data centers a prohibited use in all zones. Adopted. May 20, 2026, Middlesex Township: PAX-1 Phase 1B final plan, about six data center buildings (P26-369). Received by Cumberland County. A final plan for the Phase 1B buildings in the December 2025 preliminary plan. May 27, 2026, Lower Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 261-05-26 data centers. Adopted 5-0. May 27, 2026, Nesquehoning Borough Council: Carbon Node East development plan. Conditional preliminary plan approval. May 27, 2026, Upper Macungie Township Zoning Hearing Board: Air Products request to treat a data center at 7300 Cetronia Road as a similar use. Denied, as reported in the supervisors' June 4 minutes. May 28, 2026, Washington Township (Berks) Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-1 AI Data Center zoning ordinance adopted after hearing. Adopted, all ayes. June 1, 2026, Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 06-26 bulk zoning amendment including data center standards. Adopted unanimously. June 1, 2026, East Penn Township Board of Supervisors: Adopted Ordinance 2026-01 amending the zoning ordinance with respect to data storage centers (after hearing). Adopted, all in favor. June 8, 2026, Knowlton Township (Warren NJ) Committee: Ordinance 26-09: data centers non-permitted in all districts. Adopted. June 8, 2026, Oley Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance #398 zoning amendment with Section 27-1634 Data Centers adopted after hearing. Adopted 3-0. June 10, 2026, Tilden Township Board of Supervisors: Resolution 2026-11 declaring a municipal curative amendment (data centers). Adopted 3-0. June 17, 2026, Allentown City Council: Bill 20 data center use, Ordinance 16223, R-81 municipal curative amendment resolution. Bill 20 passed, R-81 failed. June 17, 2026, Upper Allen Township Board of Commissioners: Resolutions 1126 and 1127 declaring the zoning ordinance substantively invalid in part as to data center uses and initiating a curative amendment (MPC 609.2). Enacted (unanimous, 4-0). June 18, 2026, Forks Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 416 amending data center regulations. Adopted 5-0. June 22, 2026, Spring Township (Berks) Board of Supervisors: Resolution 2026-17 declaring the zoning ordinance invalid for data centers (municipal curative, 180 days). Carried. June 23, 2026, Hanover Township (NC) Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 26-02 data centers. Approved. June 23, 2026, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: Project Atlas revised plan, three data center buildings of 492,285 square feet. Regional review. June 23, 2026, West Reading Borough Council: Curative amendment for data centers enacted (Resolution 2026-14 declaring the zoning ordinance invalid for omitting data centers). Carried 5-0. June 24, 2026, Allamuchy Township Council: Ordinance 2026-06: data centers a prohibited use in all zoning districts. Adopted on second reading (5-0). June 24, 2026, Mansfield Township (Warren NJ): Ordinance 019-2026: prohibit data centers in all zones. Adopted. June 25, 2026, Palmerton Borough Council: Adopted Ordinance 790, data center use and regulations (after hearing). Adopted by voice vote. June 25, 2026, Watts Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 26-01 data center regulations (conditional use, Industrial District). Enacted. |
| Q3 2026 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Upper Mount Bethel Township: Slate Belt Holdings validity challenge for a data center campus Upper Macungie Township: TierPoint substation for the existing TekPark data center, Docket #2434, approved by Resolution 2026-36 Lower Towamensing Township: DTA Alliance validity challenge and curative amendment for a data center overlay Harrisburg-Carlisle. Swatara Township: Highlands East land development plan, received by Dauphin County (26-090) | July 1, 2026, Lopatcong Township Council (NJ): Ordinance 26-06, data centers prohibited in the ROM zone. Adopted 5-0. July 1, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: PAX-1 Phase 2 preliminary plan. Approved unanimously. July 2, 2026, Hampden Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 2026-03, data centers by conditional use in the industrial general district. Adopted 5-0. July 2, 2026, Howe Township Board of Supervisors: Zoning Ordinance 26-02, data centers by conditional use in the commercial district. Adopted, according to the ordinance. July 7, 2026, Bern Township Board of Supervisors: Curative amendment resolution on data center uses, followed by a finding of invalidity on August 4. Approved 5-0 each time. July 13, 2026, Lower Allen Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 2026-04, data center regulations. Enacted 5-0. July 13, 2026, Reading City Council: Resolution 105-2026, zoning declared invalid for data center uses, 180-day cure period. Adopted 7-0, according to draft minutes in the July 27 council packet. July 14, 2026, Perry Township Board of Supervisors (Berks): Resolution 07-14-26, 180-day moratorium and cure period on data center submissions, then Ordinance 09-2026 on September 8. Adopted, all voting yes. July 20, 2026, Steelton Borough Council: Resolutions 2026-R-27 and R-28, zoning declared invalid as to data centers, curative amendment within 180 days. Adopted unanimously. July 22, 2026, Centre Township Board of Supervisors (Perry): Ordinance 2-2026, amending the data center ordinance. Adopted. July 23, 2026, West Hanover Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01, data center and battery storage regulations. Adopted unanimously. July 30, 2026, South Middleton Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-03, data centers by conditional use in the I-2 district. Adopted 5-0. August 4, 2026, Pennsylvania DEP: Project Atlas construction stormwater permit application PAD390390. Received. A public hearing is set for November 23. August 5, 2026, Allentown City Council: Bill 52 (Ordinance 16232), data center use removed from the IG district and setbacks increased. Approved 7-0. August 5, 2026, Swatara Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance O-2026-5, zoning and subdivision amendment with data center standards. Adopted. August 11, 2026, Allen Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01, Data Center Overlay District. Adopted unanimously. August 11, 2026, Windsor Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01, data center zoning amendment. Enacted after a hearing, according to minutes not yet approved. August 13, 2026, Jim Thorpe Borough Council: Ordinance 2026-03, data center zoning provisions. Adopted 6-0. August 13, 2026, South Whitehall Township: Project Atlas resubmission. Resubmitted plan sent for review. August 18, 2026, East Hanover Township Board of Supervisors (Dauphin): Ordinance 2026-02, data centers and battery storage by conditional use. Adopted 5-0. August 18, 2026, Pohatcong Township Council (NJ): Ordinance 26-08, data centers not permitted anywhere in the township. Adopted 5-0. August 20, 2026, Lower Mifflin Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01, solar and data center zoning. Approved by all three supervisors, according to draft minutes. August 24, 2026, Belvidere Town Council (NJ): Ordinance O2026x06, warehouse definition excluding data centers. Adopted 6-0. August 24, 2026, Upper Mount Bethel Township Board of Supervisors: Slate Belt Holdings validity challenge and memorandum of understanding. Voted 5-0 to contest the challenge. A motion not to act on the memorandum failed 2-3. August 25, 2026, Longswamp Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 309, data centers and solar. Enacted after a hearing. August 25, 2026, Rye Township Board of Supervisors: Resolutions 26-29 and 26-30, zoning declared invalid in part for data center uses. Adopted unanimously. August 25, 2026, South Heidelberg Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 296, Southwestern Berks joint zoning amendment on data centers. Adopted unanimously, according to minutes awaiting approval. August 25, 2026, Southampton Township Board of Supervisors (Cumberland): Ordinance 2026-02, data center overlay repealed and data centers made a conditional use in the manufacturing district. Enacted, according to the certified ordinance. August 26, 2026, Blairstown Township Committee (NJ): Ordinance 2026-03, data centers over 5,000 square feet prohibited. Adopted 4-1. August 27, 2026, Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 08-2026-686, zoning amendments including data centers. Adopted 4-0. August 28, 2026, Middlesex Township: PAX-1 Phase 2 final plan, about five data center buildings (P26-621). Received by Cumberland County. A final plan for the Phase 2 buildings in the December 2025 preliminary plan. September 2, 2026, Middlesex Township Board of Supervisors: PAX-1 Phase 3 preliminary plan, Phase 1B final plan, community benefits and master developers agreements. Approved, 2-0 with one supervisor absent. September 2, 2026, Wernersville Borough Council: Southwestern Berks joint zoning amendment on data centers. Enacted unanimously after a hearing. September 8, 2026, Carroll Township Board of Supervisors (Perry): Ordinance 83, data centers and related uses. Adopted after a hearing. September 8, 2026, Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors (Northampton): Ordinance 2026-2, data center criteria. Adopted, all voting aye. September 8, 2026, Swatara Township Planning Commission: Highlands East presentation, file 2026-08C. Presentation only. The applicant was not seeking approval. September 8, 2026, Tatamy Borough Council: Ordinance 314-2026, micro and mini data centers. Adopted unanimously. September 10, 2026, Upper Bern Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 173-2026, data center uses. Enacted 3-0, according to the signed ordinance. September 14, 2026, Lower Mount Bethel Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 2026-01, digital infrastructure facilities. Adopted 5-0. September 15, 2026, Kutztown Borough Council: Ordinance 2-2026, data center definitions and conditional use standards. Enacted, according to the signed ordinance. September 15, 2026, Lower Heidelberg Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 634, Southwestern Berks joint zoning amendment on data centers. Enacted, according to the signed ordinance. September 15, 2026, Lower Towamensing Township Board of Supervisors: Special counsel for the curative amendment hearings. Appointed, all voting yes. September 16, 2026, Amity Township Board of Supervisors: Resolution 26-19, municipal curative amendment for data center uses with a stay of data center applications. Passed unanimously. September 16, 2026, East Pennsboro Township Board of Commissioners: Ordinance 864-2026, Annex district with data center conditional use. Adopted unanimously. September 16, 2026, Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 207, thermal impact mitigation for data centers. Adopted unanimously. September 22, 2026, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: 1024 North Bradford Street, Allentown, and 2184 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem. Regional reviews of two city data center plans. September 23, 2026, Upper Paxton Township Board of Supervisors: Ordinance 9-23-2026, data center regulations. Adopted, all in favor. |
Dates are the date each record gives for a filing: a township receipt stamp or filing letter, or a county planning commission's date received. A site is listed in the quarter of each new filing for data center buildings, for power at an existing data center or for a planning case for the site, and a later stage of the same plan, such as a final plan after its preliminary plan, is listed as a milestone. TierPoint's substation is dated by its August 6 approval, because its filing date is not on the record. Decisions are dated by their meeting.
What to watch next
- November 12, 2026. Maidencreek supervisors hold a hearing on a zoning amendment allowing data centers by conditional use in its industrial districts. Published record.
- November 20, 2026. Middlesex supervisors' deadline to act on the PAX-1 Phase 2 final plan. Published record.
- November 23, 2026. The state environment department holds a public hearing on Project Atlas's water obstruction and encroachment and NPDES permits at Cedar Crest College. Published record.
The records behind the findings
The quarter's filings, in detail (Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton 3, Harrisburg-Carlisle 1)
Slate Belt Holdings data center campus, Upper Mount Bethel Township
- Location
- West of River Road, Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County (parcels C11-26-2-0131, C11-31-1-0131 and C11-26-11-0131)
- Applicant and owner of record
- Slate Belt Holdings, LLC
- Acres
- 753.99
- What is proposed, as filed
- A "Data Center Campus" in the I-2 district. The zoning plan shows 23 pads, each labelled "201,500 SF DATA CENTER PAD", and two substation pads labelled 480 MW.
- Filing and status
- Validity challenge and request for a favorable use class determination before the zoning hearing board. Pending. The supervisors voted 5-0 on August 24 to contest it.
- Filed
- July 23, 2026
- Records
- Filing package, July 24 supervisors' minutes, August 24 supervisors' minutes
DTA Alliance data center overlay, Lower Towamensing Township
- Location
- Dairy Road and Fireline Road (SR 2004), Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County, on the Blue Shamrock Golf Course and Alliance sand quarry parcels
- Applicants
- DTA Alliance LLC, as equitable owner, and its affiliate Murphy's Meadow LLC
- Acres
- 700
- Square feet
- About 4.5 million, with an average building of 350,000 square feet
- Estimated cost, as filed
- About $12 billion
- What is proposed, as filed
- A Data Center Overlay District over the R-R and R-C zones for a data center campus, with possible substations and "a power generation facility, if necessary". The filing states no campus power figure.
- Filing and status
- Substantive validity challenge and landowner curative amendment. The supervisors appointed special counsel on September 15. A hearing is noticed for October 27, and the October 6 agenda lists a hearing postponement.
- Filed
- September 1, 2026 (township receipt stamp)
- Records
- Curative amendment, September 15 minutes, Hearing notice, October 6 agenda
TierPoint TekPark substation, Upper Macungie Township
- Location
- 9999 Hamilton Boulevard, Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, the existing TierPoint TekPark data center campus
- Plan of record
- Docket #2434, TierPoint Substation
- Power, as filed
- A 100-megavolt ampere electrical substation. The record gives no megawatt figure for the data center.
- What is proposed, as filed
- A substation on part of an existing parking lot "to support existing data center operations", with a 17-by-32-foot equipment building. About 250 parking spaces are removed.
- Filing and status
- Expansion filing at an existing data center campus. Minor land development plan given preliminary and final approval by Resolution 2026-36, unanimously, on the conditions in review letters of July 16 and July 22. The state data center register lists a TekPark Data Center Expansion as proposed, with no state applications received.
- Approved
- August 6, 2026. The plan's filing date is not on the posted record.
- Records
- August 6 supervisors' minutes, State data center register
Highlands East data center campus, Swatara Township
- Location
- Highland Street, Swatara Township, Dauphin County (five parcels consolidated into one lot)
- Applicant of record
- US Highlands East Purchaser LLC. Corscale presented the plan to the township.
- Acres
- 157.21
- Square feet
- 744,262, two buildings of 372,131 square feet
- Power, as filed
- Each building is labelled "150 CRITICAL MW 217.5 GROSS MW" on the plan
- What is proposed, as filed
- Lot consolidation and preliminary/final land development plans for a two-building data center campus, with a substation and a PPL switch station
- Filing and status
- Under review. The county's September 23 review listed a missing noise study, water supply study and decommissioning plan. The developers presented the plan to the township planning commission on September 8 without seeking approval.
- Filed
- August 24, 2026 (date received by Dauphin County)
- Records
- County review 26-090, September 8 planning commission minutes
Data center site and building projects with a record in the seven quarters, Q1 2025 to Q3 2026 (15)
| Site and records | Metro and authority | First filed | Permit first issued | Declared value | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAX-1 (Pennsylvania Digital 1), Middlesex / P25-726 to P26-621 Phase 1B preliminary, P25-1134 Phase 2 preliminary, P25-1176 Phase 1B final, P26-369 Phase 2 final, P26-621 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Middlesex Township | April 25, 2025 | No permit on the record. Plans approved January 5 to September 2, 2026 | Not stated | Overlay application April 25, 2025, then a subdivision and phase plans for a 693-acre campus. The Phase 1B and Phase 2 preliminary plans, received in December 2025, each describe about five or six data center buildings, and their final plans followed in May and August 2026. |
| Highlands East, Swatara / 26-090 / 2026-08C | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Swatara Township | August 24, 2026 | No permit on the record. Under review | Not stated | Two buildings of 372,131 sq ft on 157.21 acres, each labelled 150 critical MW. |
| Highlands West, Swatara / 2026-09C Plan set, revised October 6 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Swatara Township | Not on the record | No permit on the record. On the October 13 planning commission agenda | Not stated | Lot consolidation and final land development plans by US Highlands West Purchaser LLC. The plan set shows three data center buildings of 409,600 sq ft each, each labelled 225 critical MW, on about 228 acres. |
| Quarry data center, South Hanover / HCI DP Land Acquisition Derry Township minutes, September 8 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. South Hanover Township | Not on the record, acknowledged June 23, 2026 | No permit on the record. Zoning hearing continued indefinitely at the applicant's request | Not stated | Special exception application for a data center and a validity challenge, at a former quarry. |
| Susquehanna Crossings, Watts Township / Perry County review 26-034 Watts planning commission, April 8 Watts supervisors, September 21 Watts supervisors, July 1 | Harrisburg-Carlisle. Watts Township | March 25, 2026 | No permit on the record. Township review extended to November 30, 2026 | Not stated | Preliminary subdivision and land development plan by MRPI Amity Hall, LLC. The county review describes a proposed data center use. The township's July 1 minutes record two curative amendments filed by the same owner. |
| Slate Belt Holdings, Upper Mount Bethel / Validity challenge | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Upper Mount Bethel Township | July 23, 2026 | No permit on the record. Pending before the zoning hearing board | Not stated | 23 data center pads of 201,500 sq ft on 753.99 acres. |
| DTA Alliance, Lower Towamensing / Curative amendment | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Lower Towamensing Township | September 1, 2026 | No permit on the record. Hearing noticed | About $12 billion | About 4.5 million sq ft on 700 acres. |
| Project Atlas, South Whitehall / 2025-109 DEP hearing notice | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. South Whitehall Township | December 1, 2025 | No permit on the record. Under township and DEP review | Not stated | First filed as six buildings, revised to three data center buildings of 492,285 sq ft each on about 410 acres. |
| TierPoint TekPark substation, Upper Macungie / Docket #2434 / Resolution 2026-36 State data center register | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Upper Macungie Township | Not on the record, approved August 6, 2026 | Preliminary and final plan approved August 6, 2026. No permit on the record | Not stated | Expansion at an existing data center campus: a 100 MVA substation on part of a parking lot, to support existing data center operations. |
| Carbon Node East, Nesquehoning / Carbon County #4,030 and #4,049 Borough approval, May 27 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Nesquehoning Borough | Not on the record, before November 18, 2025 | No permit on the record. Conditional preliminary approval May 27, 2026 | Not stated | Preliminary land development plan for a data center development on Industrial Road. |
| Prologis Lehigh Valley East 16, Allen Township / 2500 Liberty Drive LVPC review, April 2026 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Allen Township | Not on the record | Amended final plans approved March 24, 2026. No permit on the record | Not stated | Conversion of an existing warehouse of more than one million sq ft to a data center, with a substation. |
| 7300 Cetronia Road, Upper Macungie / Docket 2415 Zoning board denial, May 27 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. Upper Macungie Township | Not on the record, before November 20, 2025 | Plan tabled December 17, 2025. Zoning relief denied May 27, 2026 | Not stated | Three data center buildings, 2,600,100 sq ft, at the former Air Products headquarters. |
| 1024 North Bradford Street, Allentown / LVPC review | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. City of Allentown | Not on the record | No permit on the record. Regional review September 22, 2026 | Not stated | 146,000 sq ft data center with an area for a substation. |
| 2184 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem / LVPC review | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. City of Bethlehem | Not on the record | No permit on the record. Regional review September 22, 2026 | Not stated | 131,380 sq ft on two floors on 6.8 acres. The applicant identifies a peak demand of about 120 MW. |
| 2401 W. Emaus Avenue, Allentown / LMA-2022-00010 Zoning appeal A-2025-00670 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton. City of Allentown | Not on the record | No permit on the record. On planning commission agendas June 9 to October 13, 2026 | Not stated | Amended plan turning a 224,000 sq ft warehouse into a data center of 247,342 sq ft with a substation and sound walls, by Quantm Group. |
A planning case or plan is not a permit. Declared values are the filers' own figures, not total project spend. Where no record gives a filing date, the column says so.
State air permit applications (1)
| Date | Facility and record | Status | What the record states |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 12, 2026 | CDE Acquisitions, 2493 North Cedar Crest Boulevard, South Whitehall / 39-00117A State data center permit register | Pending. Deficiency letter October 8, 2026 | Minor facility plan approval application. The permit record lists no sources and names no data center. The state data center permit register lists it under Project Atlas. |
In the state's data center permit register, Project Atlas is the only project in the seven Pennsylvania counties with an air application submitted.
Reported
These proposals appear in public records, but none has a filing for the site dated in the seven quarters through September.
- Former Titus Station, Cumru Township. Cumru adopted a data center overlay covering the former power station on April 21. The township said on June 30 that it had received no plans for a data center.
- RPL East, 5027 River Road, Upper Mount Bethel. A second validity challenge, for a "Data Center Campus and Electric Generation Plant" on 151.9 acres at a retired coal plant, was filed October 8, after the quarter.
- DTA Alliance curative amendment, Bowmanstown. Borough agendas of September 15 and October 20 list a DTA Alliance curative amendment for data center use. No borough record gives its site or filing date.
- Londonderry Data Center, Dauphin County. A data center developer filed a curative amendment, according to the supervisors' December 1, 2025 minutes. The township's data center overlay, Ordinance 2026-03, is dated February 11, 2026 in its code, and the township cancelled the curative amendment meeting as of February 3. The state register lists a Londonderry data center with no applications received.
- Pennsylvania Data Center Partners, Monroe Township. A resident told Upper Allen commissioners on May 6 that a joint venture of Pennsylvania Data Center Partners and PowerHouse would present in Monroe about land at 826 West Grantham Road and 1435 Williams Grove Road. Monroe's supervisors said on May 14 they knew of no application.
- Lower Mount Bethel Technology Center. Listed in the state data center register as proposed, with no applications received. The township solicitor said on September 14 that no plan had yet been submitted.
- Spring Mountain Quakake Tunnel, Carbon County. Listed by the state environment department as a proposed data center with no applications received. No local filing is on the record.
- Substantive validity challenge, Penn Forest Township. Supervisors' minutes record zoning board hearings on data centers from November 2025 and petitions to intervene in a substantive validity challenge on February 2, 2026. No posted record gives the challenge's filing date or site.
Coverage and method
Boundary: Three metro areas as the federal government defined them in July 2023, reported side by side, with a separate quarterly series for each. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton is Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County, New Jersey. Reading is Berks County. Harrisburg-Carlisle is Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties, and Camp Hill is in Cumberland. Philadelphia, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties belong to other metros and are left out. Source: Census Bureau metro delineation files.
County bodies: Full means every posted record for the quarter, Partial means some meetings' records are not posted or only agendas are, Gap means no records are posted for the quarter. Municipal rows give the number of municipalities at Full / Partial / Gap in each quarter, from each one's governing body, planning commission and zoning board records. A county planning commission reviews every land development plan in its county. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission posts its committee and commission packets, not its staff plan reviews.
| Authority | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (Lehigh, Northampton) | Partial | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Carbon County Planning Commission | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Partial | Full |
| Berks County Planning Commission | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Partial |
| Cumberland County Planning Commission | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Full | Full | Full |
| Dauphin County Planning Commission | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Perry County Planning Commission | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Warren County, NJ, Planning Board (development review committee and full board) | Full | Partial | Partial | Partial | Full | Partial | Partial |
| Pennsylvania Bulletin notices | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Pennsylvania DEP permit records | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Lehigh, Dauphin and Perry conservation districts | Gap | Gap | Gap | Gap | Gap | Gap | Gap |
| Lehigh County municipalities (25) | 13 / 12 / 0 | 14 / 11 / 0 | 14 / 11 / 0 | 14 / 11 / 0 | 12 / 13 / 0 | 12 / 13 / 0 | 10 / 15 / 0 |
| Northampton County municipalities (38) | 16 / 21 / 1 | 19 / 17 / 2 | 17 / 19 / 2 | 16 / 20 / 2 | 16 / 20 / 2 | 16 / 20 / 2 | 12 / 22 / 4 |
| Carbon County municipalities (23) | 13 / 6 / 4 | 11 / 8 / 4 | 13 / 6 / 4 | 10 / 11 / 2 | 13 / 5 / 5 | 9 / 9 / 5 | 5 / 13 / 5 |
| Warren County, NJ, municipalities (22) | 6 / 15 / 1 | 12 / 9 / 1 | 8 / 13 / 1 | 9 / 13 / 0 | 9 / 13 / 0 | 8 / 14 / 0 | 1 / 20 / 1 |
| Berks County municipalities (73) | 50 / 20 / 3 | 50 / 21 / 2 | 47 / 22 / 4 | 47 / 23 / 3 | 51 / 21 / 1 | 49 / 22 / 2 | 27 / 43 / 3 |
| Cumberland County municipalities (33) | 22 / 9 / 2 | 22 / 10 / 1 | 20 / 12 / 1 | 18 / 14 / 1 | 22 / 10 / 1 | 20 / 12 / 1 | 16 / 16 / 1 |
| Dauphin County municipalities (40) | 19 / 16 / 5 | 18 / 17 / 5 | 18 / 16 / 6 | 17 / 18 / 5 | 22 / 14 / 4 | 16 / 20 / 4 | 13 / 22 / 5 |
| Perry County municipalities (30) | 10 / 4 / 16 | 10 / 5 / 15 | 10 / 6 / 14 | 11 / 8 / 11 | 10 / 7 / 13 | 9 / 9 / 12 | 7 / 9 / 14 |
A site is one address or campus. It is listed in the quarter of each new filing for data center buildings or a planning case for the site: a land development plan, a project's rezoning, a validity challenge or curative amendment, or a special exception. A later stage of the same plan, such as a final plan after its preliminary plan, is a milestone, and a landowner rezoning that names no project is listed as a rezoning.
Work at an existing data center is listed as a site when its record states new power for the data center with a rating, as TierPoint's 100 MVA substation does, and otherwise separately. Repairs, replacements, renewals and power work whose record names no data center are left out. A planning commission review, an agenda item or a presentation is not an approval, and draft minutes are labelled as drafts.
Zoning challenges go to township boards, which counties do not review, and many towns post their zoning hearing board records late or not at all.
No permit or plan here shows that space is available to lease.
Sources and revisions
Every figure links to the public record it came from: a planning commission review, a township or council record, a zoning filing, a state permit record or a Pennsylvania Bulletin notice. A company statement is named as one and never stands in for a record.
This is a provisional interim edition. Its figures may change as authorities post more records, and later corrections will be listed here with the date and reason. Revisions: none yet.
Colocation Scout is run by a wholesale and colocation consulting company. The permit data is public and every row links to its filing. How we publish these reports.
Cite this report as: Colocation Scout, "Lehigh Valley, Reading and Camp Hill data center filings, Q3 2026," colocationscout.com/reports/lehigh-valley-data-center-permits-q3-2026.html