Rolling brownouts, mini nuclear reactors. Topics in Harrisburg being discussed in relation to data centers.

This as the Lehigh Valley’s first hyper scale data center was recently approved.

“This property here is a 100-year preservation,” Suzanne Lee said.

While a horse farm sits on one of side of her Allen Township, Northampton County property, a nearby hyperscale data center is set on the other.

“I am concerned about the use of water, the pressure on our well, the ability to grow my own food, if there’s no water available,” she said. 

Allen Township supervisors recently approved a warehouse to be the Lehigh Valley’s first data center of 1 million square feet.

The Valley has two other large scale data center proposals in South Whitehall and Upper Macungie, with a Lower Mt. Bethel development an expected third.

Developer Lou Pektor also hopes to put one in his Upper Mt. Bethel River Pointe development in 2028.

“They’re coming, and they are not meant to be everywhere,” PA State Rep Democrat Tarah Probst said.

Statewide there are 57 data centers proposals. As projects get approved, guardrails are playing catchup.

Probst recently co-sponsored a bill protecting ratepayers’ electricity costs that passed the House.

“This has been a flood of bills for sure,” Republican State Rep. Ann Flood said.

Flood, who voted against Probst bill, says between the House and Senate 26 Data Center bills are being circulated.

This as she says the PUC recently warned Legislators of possible rolling statewide brown outs starting this year due to lack of power capacity.

To avoid any temporary power outages, Flood says using mini nuclear power plants are being discussed.

“These are ideas that would allow data centers to be able to power themselves,” she said. “If that comes down to a matter of permit, can you get a permit to do that?”

While there is no timeline on any state laws, Flood and Probst say its up to local governments to set guardrails.

So far, 17 municipalities in the Lehigh Valley either have ordinances or those in the works to manage potential data centers.

For those like Lee who’s lived on her site for decades.

“Did you think you’d be living close to one?” asked 69 News reporter Bo Koltnow. 

“I had no idea I would be next to one,” she said.Â