ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A member of President Trump’s Cabinet paid a visit to Northampton County on Thursday.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured Talen Energy’s power plant in Lower Mount Bethel Township.
He was there to promote energy independence and cheap energy.
The plant has been generating news recently, as well as energy.
Talen Energy is a partner in groups seeking to develop data center complexes in Lower Mount Bethel Township and neighboring Upper Mount Bethel.
Both proposals have run into opposition from many residents.
69 News asked Secretary Burgum about the massive 23-building complex proposed in Upper Mount Bethel.
“No, I didn’t see any plans about any specific projects, but did talk broadly about the importance for America to be able to build the infrastructure it needs to manufacture intelligence,” Burgum said. “That’s really what’s happening in these data centers and I think it’s important that the industry and the local groups have to address citizens’ concerns.”
“I know, having recently been the governor of North Dakota, we built a $1.2 billion data center in a town of 800 people just outside, we lowered their electric prices, we put more water in the system,” he continued. “The company that was building the data center built 30 homes.”
When asked if the proposed data center in Lower Mount Bethel was discussed on Thursday, Burgum said it was not talked about.
“We didn’t talk about that, we just talked generically about the benefits and how we have to address concerns at a local level,” Burgum said. “From the administration-standpoint, America needs to be able to manufacture intelligence, and we have to work to find communities that support that because the benefits outweigh the challenges.”
Both Lower Mount Bethel and Upper Mount Bethel townships are considering ordinances that would regulate data centers.
We reached out to Talen Energy for comment, but they did not provide any.