Second power plant hearing in Archbald yields many questions, fewer answers

ARCHBALD — The company behind a 400-megawatt natural gas power plant proposed for Eynon Jermyn Road did not exist when the developer filed a zoning permit application in Archbald. As a result, Essential Energy LLC has no standing to make its case in the borough, an attorney representing residents argued Thursday.
Attorney Justin Richards, who represents borough residents fighting data centers, cross examines Essential Energy LLC witnesses during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

A crowd of about 100 erupted with applause and shouts of “Go home!” in the final minutes of a three-plus-hour-long hearing Thursday night when attorney Justin Richards, who represents residents challenging data centers in the borough, contended that Essential Energy LLC has no case in Archbald because it didn’t actually exist on March 12 when it filed its zoning permit application to build a power plant estimated to produce 28 billion pounds of greenhouse gases next to Staback Park, across from the Highlands of Archbald housing development, and about half a mile away from the Valley View School District.

Essential Energy only filed with the state the following day, on March 13, Richards said.

“March 12, 2026, was the date on which this zoning permit application was submitted to the borough,” he said. “Essential Energy LLC did not exist on that date. … Therefore, this applicant has no standing to be here on this conditional use application for this council.”

Borough Solicitor Jay O’Connor told Richards council will consider his position, though it would not make a decision Thursday night.

Richards’ contention concluded Essential Energy’s second hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium as it seeks conditional use approval from borough council to develop a power plant on the west side of Eynon Jermyn Road on part of the former Highway Auto Parts junkyard. The power plant would be across the street from the proposed nearly 620,000-square-foot Project Boson data center and adjacent to the 18-data-center Project Scott campus, which is now tied up in court. Both Project Boson and Essential Energy are linked to Kriger Construction Inc. and its executive leadership.
About 100 residents attended a 3-hour-plus conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald as borough council considers Essential Energy LLC’s 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Thursday’s hearing focused on the power plant’s traffic and air quality impacts, though Essential Energy’s experts often pointed to a lack of information when confronted with questions on topics like construction traffic when hauling in turbines and components, cumulative impacts from 30 proposed data centers surrounding the power plant, site-specific emissions modeling, noise, health risks to nearby residents, a lack of time to review an air quality report, and the exact equipment the proposed facility would use.

Essential Energy filed a zoning permit application with the borough for an electric power generating plant on March 12. The borough marked the application as received that day, and Jim Marzolino, the president of Kriger Construction Inc., signed the application the same day. Kriger Construction’s vice president, David Stiles, signed a conditional use hearing application two weeks later on March 26. Marzolino also proposes the Project Boson data center, and firms tied to Kriger Construction applied with Dickson City to build four data centers and at least three power plants on the mountainside above Business Route 6 in Dickson City.

Attorney Mike Mey, who represents the projects in both Archbald and Dickson City, signed Essential Energy LLC’s certificate of organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State, according to a copy of the document obtained by The Times-Tribune. Although the certificate is dated March 12, it was filed March 13, according to the Department of State.

(Left to right) Essential Energy LLC’s air quality expert, Nicole...

(Left to right) Essential Energy LLC’s air quality expert, Nicole Wilson of engineering firm Earthres, Attorney Michael Mey and Kriger Construction Inc. Vice President David Stiles react to cross-examination during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider their 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Kriger Construction Inc. Vice President David Stiles, who signed Essential Energy LLC’s conditional use application, looks on during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

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Essential Energy’s third hearing will resume June 22 at 5 p.m. in the Valley View High School auditorium, 1 Columbus Drive, Archbald.

‘Not as part of this evaluation’

Although Essential Energy’s presentation focused on low volumes of traffic once the power plant is operational, questions from the borough officials and objectors focused on construction traffic.

Traffic engineer Ian Preston of KCI Technologies in Mechanicsburg provided the testimony, guided by questions from attorney Frank Hoegen of Hoegen & Associates in Wilkes-Barre.

(Left to right) Essential Energy LLC traffic engineer Ian Preston of KCI Technologies, Attorney Frank Hoegen and Kriger Construction Inc. Vice President David Stiles attend a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald as council considers their 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Preston said Essential Energy tasked him with providing a comprehensive traffic assessment to consider traffic operations, site access and roadway safety. Their calculations are based on the power plant having a maximum of 12 employees at a single time, though it will usually be five to 10 workers on site, Preston said. As a result, it would produce 46 total trips per day on a road with average daily traffic of 3,350 vehicles, he said.

Construction could range from six months to 1½ years for a project like this, Preston said.

Councilwoman Erin Owen questioned Preston on cumulative traffic impacts.

“Wouldn’t you have to consider, sir, when you’re doing a traffic study: a school, business, a rehab facility, two restaurants, a golf course, houses, townhouses, a DCNR park — and you don’t find that, collectively, a great study?” Owen asked.

Councilwoman Erin Owen, left, questions traffic impacts during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald as council considers Essential Energy LLC’s 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Preston said future proposed data center campuses and other land uses are significant enough to require a comprehensive transportation impact study, but his assessment was limited to the power plant and its 12 employees.

Councilman Larry Marchetti asked whether Preston used the Pennsylvania State Department of Transportation’s data from the last 15 years, which he said does not factor in any of the potential growth in Archbald. Preston confirmed they used PennDOT data.

Marchetti also addressed construction traffic.

“Typically turbines are brought in one piece, they’re pretty big, right, and you’re building a power plant with steel, concrete, turbines, heavy equipment, and how does that all factor in to the capacity of that roadway to be able to handle that?” Marchetti said.

Archbald Councilman Larry Marchetti, second from left, questions Essential Energy LLC officials during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Preston said his evaluation was post-construction operations, but if there were a significant number of turbines that would disrupt daily traffic, PennDOT would typically require additional shoulder widening or site access during construction.

Marchetti pointed out there would be four turbines: two steam turbines and two natural gas turbines.

Owen followed up to ask if there would be issues with trucks coming off Business Route 6 or the Casey Highway through town en route to the site, especially with bus traffic.

Preston reiterated his evaluation was post-construction but said typically oversized equipment deliveries require special PennDOT hauling permits that can have conditions attached like escorts, hauling during a certain time of day or coordination with first responders.

Essential Energy LLC traffic engineer Ian Preston of KCI Technologies testifies during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald as council considers the 400-megawatt natural gas power on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

During cross-examination, Richards referenced each individual proposed data center near Essential Energy — Project Scott, Project Boson and the seven-building Project Gravity — asking whether Preston considered their traffic. He did not.

Attorney Justin Richards, who represents borough residents fighting data centers, cross examines Essential Energy LLC witnesses during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

The other objector, resident Tamara Misewicz-Healey, the co-founder of the Stop Archbald Data Centers movement, emphasized Archbald’s zoning ordinance states traffic has to be conducted in a safe and efficient manner throughout the full project, including construction.

“Construction is a part of the project, and would still need some form of comfort and proven evidence that that also could be done in a safe and efficient manner, so I’m just seeing if you have anything to provide for that phase of the project,” she said.

Stop Archbald Data Centers co-founder Tamara Misewicz-Healey cross-examines Essential Energy LLC officials during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

“Not as part of this evaluation,” Preston said.

‘We don’t know’

Engineer Nicole Wilson of engineering firm Earthres offered testimony on Essential Energy’s air emissions, though she frequently acknowledged that they don’t actually know what equipment will be used for the power plant. That lack of specifics fueled the debate Thursday as opponents and council members aired their concerns.

Stepping in as an attorney for the project, Mey guided Wilson’s testimony through question. At one point he asked, “Is this a modern, combined-cycle generating facility?”

“Yes, this would be considered a new, state-of-the-art plant, but again, we don’t know what specific equipment will go into this particular plant,” Wilson responded.

Essential Energy LLC’s air quality expert, Nicole Wilson of engineering firm Earthres, and Attorney Michael Mey react to questions during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

The power plant would be required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to use the best available technology, Wilson said.

“Because we don’t know for sure what equipment this plant would potentially have, we looked at similar plants, we looked at (best available technology) emission limits that DEP would most likely require, and extrapolated our emissions for a 400-megawatt plant,” she said.

A woman holds a sign asking council to deny the Essential Energy LLC power plant during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald to consider the 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Councilman Joseph Altier III wanted to know how Wilson can call it a state-of-the-art facility when she doesn’t know what equipment it’ll use.

“We looked at similar equipment that went in to similar power plants in that area, but, you’re right, we would need to look at, like, if this facility decides they want X model turbine, we would have to look and make sure that still meets that state-of-the-art requirement in terms of emissions and control technology,” Wilson said.

“Well isn’t that something we should know now?” the councilman said.

Archbald officials listen to testimony during a conditional use hearing in the Valley View High School auditorium in Archbald as council considers Essential Energy LLC’s 400-megawatt natural gas power plant on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY / STAFF PHOTO)

Marchetti’s questioning looked at the ammonia the power plant would use in its emissions controls, pointing out the potency of industrial-grade ammonia used in power plants and how sensitive some people are to its odor.

“I’m just trying to understand, because of the proximity of this facility to houses, to nursing homes, to schools, what mechanisms are in place if something goes awry in terms of the emissions?” he asked.

“I can’t say how they’re going to operate once it’s built,” Wilson replied. “There should be startup, shutdown, malfunction provisions and plans in place, but that’s outside of the scope of our study that we did for today.”

Councilwoman Madonna Munley chided the developer for only submitting its report the day of the hearing. Borough officials were “expected to read seven pages of highly technical information, and read it while you were trying to go over and explain it,” she said.

“Whoever was responsible for getting this to us, it would have been very helpful to have this ahead of time, because I like to research, but this is all technical jargon to me,” Munley said.

In cross-examination, Richards repudiated Wilson’s testimony on noise impacts because she is not a sound expert, which she acknowledged.

The attorney also attacked comparisons in Wilson’s report that referenced the Aghada Power Station in Ireland and the 1,485-megawatt Lackawanna Energy Center natural gas power plant in Jessup.

“Can you enlighten the council what the topography of White Gate in County Cork, Ireland, is?” Richards asked.

“No,” she replied.

Under further questioning, Wilson said she was asked by her client to include the Ireland comparison.

Richards asked similar questions about Invenergy’s Lackawanna Energy Center.

“How far away from the LEC are the nearest residences that that projection was made?” Richards asked.

“I would have to check,” Wilson said.

Listing off the potential emissions, Richards confirmed with Wilson that the power plant would produce billions of pounds per year of greenhouse gases.

“So 28 billion pounds, carbon dioxide, methane, and (nitrogen) oxide in the middle of this town, per year, correct?” he asked. “That would be a potential emission?”

“Potential emission estimate, yep,” Wilson said.

Misewicz-Healey’s cross-examination of Wilson concentrated on cumulative impacts of data centers and how the valley topography would factor into air pollution and noise.

“Has an independent health impact assessment been conducted for the surrounding residential area or school?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Wilson said. “I haven’t done one.”

Asked how the topography would affect emissions or noise, Wilson said they did not do any air modeling, and that typically would not be required by the DEP.

“Do you have any data, studies, or evidence today to provide to us that this facility would improve health, or at least not increase a risk to the public health of the community, especially within those vulnerable populations?” Misewicz-Healey inquired.

“I would say no, we didn’t evaluate that as part of our desktop study,” Wilson said.

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