The Erie County Council held a public hearing Wednesday on proposed regulations aimed at controlling the size, noise levels, and environmental impact of future data centers.

The proposed amendment to the county’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, or SALDO, would apply only to the twelve municipalities that do not already have their own data center regulations in place.

County officials say the measure is not intended to ban data centers, but instead establish ground rules for future development.

“This is establishing some ground rules so that if there was any development that we’re protected as a community,” said Rock Copeland, District 3 Representative on Erie County Council. “We just need to consider whether we’re adopting those rules as it stands in Erie County.”

Henry Chiapa, a District 3 Representative on the Erie County Planning Commission, said communities currently have limited guidance when it comes to data center development.

“It’s kind of the wild, wild west when it comes to data center development,” Chiapa said.

Chiapa said officials need to consider the potential effects of data centers on local communities, including their economic impact.

Because Pennsylvania is a non-exclusionary state, Erie County and individual municipalities cannot directly ban data centers.

Chiapa said state authority over utilities also limits what local governments can regulate.

“The PA utility commission basically supersedes everything we do when it comes to utilities, and it’s really just been navigating around that,” he said.

Copeland said environmental regulations are largely handled at the state level by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, limiting the county’s authority in that area.

Residents also raised the possibility of a temporary statewide moratorium on data center development while more research is conducted into their potential effects on communities.

Copeland said he supports a moratorium but believes the state would need to play a role.

“I am in favor of a moratorium, but that’s something that we need the state to come in and assist in that,” he said.

County officials emphasized that the proposed SALDO amendment would not prevent additional restrictions from being added in the future.

The Erie County Council is scheduled to vote on whether to approve or deny the amendment on Aug. 25.