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Data centers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: 8 projects mapped
Allegheny County's data center fight is in Springdale, a square-mile borough 18 miles above Pittsburgh. In December 2025 its council voted 5-2 to grant a conditional use permit - a required local approval - to Allegheny DC for a data center on the closed Cheswick power plant site, which abuts homes on three sides. The project's power draw remains unresolved: the plan approved in December 2025 called for 180 megawatts, while later filings for the renamed Dynamo DC project put it as high as 330 megawatts, the figure used here. The county Health Department has not yet ruled on an air permit for the site's backup diesel generators.
None of the council members wanted to vote yes. "I love this town," Jason Overly said before voting for it. "Do I want to see this data center come in? No I don't. But unfortunately we're going to be sued." State law makes approval mandatory once an applicant meets the zoning code, Borough Manager Terry Carcella said, and Springdale had no data center rules of its own when Allegheny DC applied. Duquesne Light's David Fisfis said the utility has no control over generation costs and expects customers to pay an extra $212 million after this summer's power auction.
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At a June 2026 open house, the developer's consultants said they had added mufflers and acoustic barriers, and that the generators would need to pass a county air-permit review before construction. "We do not need a data center," said retired therapist Carole Brennan. "Our children are much more important." Protesters organized by the Breathe Project are asking the Health Department to require that permit, and to follow extra review rules for state-designated environmental justice areas, before construction can proceed.
Other data centers already operate in the county, including Expedient's two Pittsburgh sites, Ascent Data and Lumen in Pittsburgh, and the Ardent Data Center in McKees Rocks. On August 25, 2026, county council members Dan Grzybek and Bethany Hallam introduced a bill to ban data centers on the county's own land; it has nearly enough co-sponsors to pass and remains in committee.
Data center projects on record in Allegheny County
Grouped by the town each site sits in. The report above may name projects that have no record here yet.
Pittsburgh5
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedient PIT2Pittsburgh | Expedient | 4 MW | Source off site ↗ | |
| Expedient PIT1Pittsburgh | Expedient | 1 MW | Source off site ↗ | |
| Ascent DataPittsburgh | Ascent Data | Not reported | ||
| DataBank Pittsburgh metroPittsburgh | DataBank | Not reported | Source off site ↗ | |
| Lumen: Pittsburgh Data Center 2Pittsburgh | Lumen | Not reported |
McKees Rocks1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Data/ Ardent Data CenterMcKees Rocks | Ardent Data Centers (Northern Data Group) | 20 MW |
Springdale1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springdale/Dynamo Data CenterSpringdale | Allegheny DC Property Co | Approved | 330 MW |
Tarentum1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarentum (Rockpointe) Data CenterTarentum | Management Science Associates | Not reported |
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Zoning limits on data centers
Rules short of a pause: setbacks, noise caps, permit requirements and district limits.
| Place | Type | Started | Ends | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Acres BoroughTown or city | Zoning limits | Mar 13, 2023 | No end date | Record off site ↗ |
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.