The proposed data center at the former Air Products headquarters site in Upper Macungie Township has already been the subject of debate.
It was brought up Dec. 4 when the township adopted an ordinance regulating data centers in its borders. However, the 2.6 million-square-foot project will not be subject to it because plans were submitted before the ordinance was passed.
A month after the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission recommended adopting the ordinance, it will tackle the data center complex itself. The plan calls for three buildings on 194 acres at 7300 Cetronia Road.
The LVPC’s Comprehensive Committee will have the first crack at it during its monthly meeting Tuesday. The virtual meeting is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
Because of the project’s size, it has been branded a project of regional significance under definitions set under FutureLV, the commission’s master plan.
The committee will review a draft letter to Upper Macungie officials prepared by LVPC Chief Community Planner Jillian Seitz and Environmental Planner Susan Myerov. If the letter is adopted, the full LVPC would vote on it Thursday. It would then be up to Upper Macungie on whether or not to follow it.
“FutureLV acknowledges that the advancement of technology and increased need for real-time information and data transmission makes infrastructure and connectivity increasingly important,” Seitz and Myerov wrote. “Data centers are essential to meeting modern digital connectivity needs and demands; however, hyperscale facilities pose unprecedented levels of impact to communities’ utility infrastructure.”
The letter said Air Products does not provide sufficient information to evaluate the project’s full electrical demand or long-term impacts to the power grid.
“The applicant should clarify the total projected electrical load at full build-out and demonstrate coordination with PPL to confirm that the existing grid can reliably accommodate this load without degrading service to current residential or commercial users,” the letter said. “The applicant should obtain written confirmation from PPL that identifies whether grid upgrades will be required, such as substation expansion, new feeders, or transmission enhancements, and how these improvements will be funded to promote fiscal health and sustainability.”
As for water consumption and the resulting wastewater, the letter included a lengthy list of questions on how Air Products would coordinate its plans with the Lehigh County Authority. The LVPC said the LCA has yet to be approached to determine if capacity is available. Current plans call for 95,000 gallons of water to be used daily, but that’s when the plan was for warehouses.
Among the items on the list, the LVPC wants to know how much water would be used on a daily and monthly basis and how much would be discharged.
Other concerns include the effects noise from cooling equipment and nighttime lighting would have on the surrounding neighborhood.
Also on the agenda are separate proposals to improve athletic facilities at Easton and Wilson Area high schools.