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Data centers in Carbon County, Pennsylvania: 2 projects mapped
Carbon County has two data center proposals, on opposite sides of the county. Carbon Node East, from Keel Infrastructure (formerly the bitcoin miner Bitfarms), would put four data center buildings for AI computing next to the Panther Creek power plant in Nesquehoning; it already has most of its local approvals, and developer Kevin Roberts said construction could start in 2027 if state environmental permits come through. The other, from Mele Brothers Realty, would sit on land near Route 903 and Maury Road in Penn Forest Township; no site plan has been filed, and the project is tied up in a zoning fight.
In Nesquehoning, Keel describes a 350-megawatt campus employing about 297 people. Borough council has approved the preliminary plan and the sewage plan, and the company says it will pay for any needed power-line upgrades and give the Panther Valley School District $1 million over three years. A lawsuit by Save Carbon County challenges the neighboring Panther Creek plant's permit to burn shredded tires; the group's lawyer says the state is subsidizing the pollution.
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In Penn Forest, supervisors put a data center zone over about 500 acres of residential land in March rather than fight a legal challenge that argued the township's rules illegally banned data centers everywhere. Residents pushed back: well driller Jacob Peterzak said "there is not enough water in this area to draw for a data center," and Save Carbon County's Linda Christman pointed to protected bats and two high-quality streams on the site. A separate challenge to that zoning change, brought by resident J. William Fontaine, went before the zoning board on September 1 to decide who may join the case; no result has been published.
Other towns are acting before anyone applies: Palmerton adopted a data center ordinance in June, and Jim Thorpe voted to advertise one limiting data centers to the industrial zone along the Lehigh River. Mele Brothers' attorney said in January the company would pursue a data center "one way or the other."
Data center projects on record in Carbon County
Grouped by the town each site sits in. The report above may name projects that have no record here yet.
Nesquehoning1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keel Infrastructure Carbon Node East (Panther Creek)Nesquehoning | Keel Infrastructure | Proposed | 350 MW |
Penn Forest Township1
| Project | Company | Status | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Forest Township Data Center (Maury Rd)Penn Forest Township | Mele Brothers Realty | Proposed | Not reported |
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
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.