Lehigh Valley communities can’t totally stop data centers from being built, but they can put limits on where they can go.
That’s the purpose of zoning ordinances, which municipalities across the state use to divvy up land for such things as homes, parks, shopping centers and industrial buildings. The Municipalities Planning Code, enacted in 1968, gives local governments the power to enact them, but requires that all types of zoning have a space if they are lawful.
That includes data centers, which are usually included in industrial areas.
In recent months, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has been busy reviewing data center ordinances. According to LVPC’s latest count, 23 of the Valley’s 62 municipalities have passed or are working on them.
Here are the Lehigh Valley communities on the list:
LEHIGH COUNTY
Allentown
Status: Passed in June but likely to be updated.
What’s in it: It allows data centers in two of the city’s three industrial zoning districts. Data centers are permitted by special exception only, which means that each proposal will receive a public hearing and vote by the city’s zoning hearing board. Data centers are not allowed within 75 feet of the right of way of a public street, or 200 feet of any residential, civic or childcare areas. The ordinance also requires robust landscaping around the perimeter, and thorough environmental, noise and waterway studies and reviews from the developer before any approval from the city. Due to public criticism, however, the ordinance is being reviewed and likely will be updated.
Lower Macungie Township
Status: Passed in May
What’s in it: Data center developers must submit an environmental impact study to the township with their application, and the township may require a supplemental study. The study must address the expected impact on public water and sewer services. The study must also say how much energy the data center will draw from the power grid in a 24-hour period.
Data center operators will be required to pay for and submit an annual report to the township on the center’s water use and sewer output, electricity use and noise level. All data centers must be connected to the public water system. They must not adversely impact the availability of water or water pressure to residences, farms and businesses within a 2-mile radius of the center’s site. No data center shall be within 1,000 feet of any residence, school, place of worship, lifecare facility or daycare. They must be hidden from street view by a 50-foot buffer, trees and berms. The trees must be species selected to be resistant to diesel exhaust, and the berms must be at least 10 feet high and covered in well-maintained grass.
Lowhill Township
Status: Passed in April
What’s in it: It requires applicants to submit an electrical utility impact study and a water feasibility study. Data centers must use a closed-loop cooling system.
North Whitehall Township
Status: Passed in March
What’s in it: Data centers are permitted by conditional use only in the light industrial/business and mineral extraction/industrial zoning districts. The buildings have a maximum height of 50 feet and set back at least 200 feet with a 25-foot landscape buffer. Sound studies will be conducted during the approval process, the building permit process and six months after the certificate of occupancy is issued. A water and sewer feasibility study is also required. The applicant will have to receive certification from the electric utility that it can serve the data center’s capacity.
Salisbury Township
Status: In progress
What’s in it: Requires a minimum lot size of 10 acres, a 50-foot buffer, and an environmental impact study that also looks at power needs and noise output. Data centers would not be allowed within 1,000 feet of homes, schools, places of worship, life care facilities or daycares, and they must be connected to public water systems. The ordinance, discussed at a July planning commission meeting, would also require closed-loop cooling systems and a yearly report documenting water and electricity use, and noise output. Data centers would be a conditional use in industrial zones.
South Whitehall Township
Status: No specific ordinance. It is governed via the planned innovation, research and technology overlay district.
What’s in it: Data centers are permitted in the industrial zone either through the conditional use process or under the provisions and requirements of the optional PIRT district. The township created the PIRT district to provide a controlled and protected environment for the orderly growth and development of research and technology-related businesses. The township has intentionally directed this type of development to the PIRT district and updated its zoning regulations in anticipation of interest in data center development.
The parameters for data centers in the PIRT district include such maximum requirements as a footprint of 500,000 square feet and a 50-foot height along with a 200-foot setback and impact studies.
Upper Macungie Township
Status: Passed in December
What’s in it: The amendment restricts data centers to the general industrial and rural technology zoning districts, and establishes setback requirements near residential areas or “sensitive receptors” such as schools, nursing homes and daycare centers. It also includes noise buffers and other protections.
Upper Saucon Township
Status: Passed in February
What’s in it: The ordinance includes a definition of data center, and criteria such as building size, a minimum of a 10-acre lot, noise, landscape buffers, fencing, air quality, water and sewer use, energy use and electronic waste. The ordinance restricts data centers to the township’s industrial and enterprise overlays zones. It has one enterprise zone, roughly bounded on one side by Corporate and Center Valley parkways; one of its two industrial zones is off Camp Meeting Road and Route 309, and the other is off Jacoby and Suter roads near the Coopersburg line.
NORHTAMPTON COUNTY
Allen Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: The township’s planning commission is looking into adding data center use to its zoning ordinance. This comes after the Board of Supervisors approved an amended final plan for data center use in an existing warehouse building.
Bushkill Township
Status: Passed in April
What’s in it: The township zoning ordinance added regulations for cryptocurrency mining facilities, data centers, data center accessory uses and solar energy facilities. All are allowed as a special exception in the general commercial/industrial district.
Chapman
Status: The ordinance is included in the Naz Plan multimunicipal plan, according to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
East Allen Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: The amendment was put forward in May and is under review. It would have data centers as part of the extractive industrial district. The ordinance includes extensive sound management requirements, as well as limiting buildings to 50 feet high, a 200-foot setback from residential areas, being serviced by public water and sewer, and a minimum lot area of 10 acres. Information on electric usage would be required.
Forks Township
Status: Passed in September
What’s in it: The ordinance allows data centers to be approved by conditional use in the township’s industrial zoning district. The law limits data centers to 60 feet in height, requires a 200-foot setback from residential areas and include buffers such as trees, and sound studies are required through the approval and construction process and six months after the occupation permit is issued. A water feasibility study will be conducted. If a utility is used for electricity, there must be proof of available capacity.
Hanover Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: Public hearing held in June. The proposed zoning would include conditional use in the planned industrial/business district, east of Route 512 from Route 22 to Hanoverville Road. This area is largely already developed, although there is no restriction on redeveloping a particular property.
Lehigh Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: The policy is under review by the LVPC. Data centers would be restricted to conditional use in the industrial zoning district. Other rules would include a large buffer yard, utility usage reviews and environmental impact studies.
Lower Mount Bethel Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: During June’s Board of Commissioners meeting, it was decided to make data center proposals a conditional use. A proposed ordinance will likely have restrictions on electrical and water usage, along with environmental impacts. It has been submitted to the LVPC for review.
Lower Nazareth Township
Status: Passed in May
What’s in it: The ordinance permits these facilities as conditional uses strictly within the TD-11 zoning district and mandates stringent off-street parking and specific operational requirements.
Lower Saucon Township
Status: Passed in May
What’s in it: The data center ordinance allows the facilities under a conditional use permit in a light manufacturing zone, one of which is along Easton Road and a second off Applebutter Road.
Moore Township
Status: Passed in May
What’s in it: The zoning amendment establishes defined development requirements and noise limitations, including water and sewer impacts, buffering and aesthetics, parking and cooling systems. Data centers would also be a conditional use.
Palmer Township
Status: Passed in August 2025
What’s in it: It restricts data centers to the township’s north end industrial district. That zoning district encompasses the massive warehouses in the Chrin Commerce Centre. Palmer’s ordinance limits data centers to seven stories.
Plainfield Township
Status: Passed in April
What’s in it: It adds definitions and regulations for data centers as a conditional use in the general commercial and industrial business park districts. The proposed ordinance includes specific standards for protection from water and sewer impacts. The ordinance requires a water feasibility study be submitted that identifies the source of water and whether an adequate supply is available, proof of review and approval from the Delaware River Basin Commission.
Upper Mount Bethel Township
Status: In progress
What’s going on: The LVPC reviewed a proposed amendment early in 2025. It adds data centers and campuses as a use permitted by-right in the planned industrial park zoning district. Calls to pass the ordinance were raised during July’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
Upper Nazareth Township
Status: Passed in June
What’s in it: Data centers are a conditional use in the TD-11 manufacturing, extraction and processing district. Conversions of any building in the TD-10 and TD-11 zones to a data center shall be considered land development and will require compliance with the provisions of the subject amendment and the township subdivision and land development ordinance. The amendment also includes provision for honeybee apiaries and conversions of buildings into dwelling units.
Washington Township
Status: Passed in April
What’s in it: It adds definitions and regulations for “Data Storage Centers,” including cryptocurrency mining facilities, data center accessory uses and data center equipment. The amendment establishes them as a special exception used in the industrial zoning district, subject to detailed standards addressing access, buffering, water and sewer service, environmental impact assessment, electric interconnection, fire protection and noise.
This story will be updated as additional communities consider or pass data center ordinances.