STOWE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Stowe Township commissioners heard a presentation Tuesday evening from a company interested in changing a local ordinance to allow a potential data center on industrial land.
The company, SunCap Industries, is eyeing a former railcar plant on Nichol Avenue.
Representatives said the change would not immediately lead to construction but would allow for a data center to be built there if a future developer chooses to move forward.
Commissioners and residents alike said they need more information before deciding.
Shawn McCune, who lives near the site, said he is not completely against the idea but has questions about how a data center would affect local infrastructure.
“If they’re using the grid that we currently have, is that going to further cause problems for the residents or cause prices to come up?” McCune said.
During the meeting, SunCap Industries told the board it needs more time to evaluate the impacts on the infrastructure.
Commissioner Tyler Kochirka said he was concerned about how the proposed ordinance change was introduced.
“I do question it because it came about in, I think, an undermining way,” Kochirka said. “It wasn’t fully transparent on amending the ordinance.”
Kochirka said he wanted to bring clarity to both board members and the public during October’s meeting.
“Myself and another commissioner didn’t receive enough information,” he said. “Why would we even be considering an amendment to build it?”
He also raised questions about the data center’s potential power use.
“If a data center should come, and they need power, are they attaching to the current power grid or are they building off the grid so it doesn’t affect the residents as much?” he asked.
The president of the board of commissioners. Cheryl McDermott also addressed concerns raised about environmental safety and rising utility costs.
“Well, first of all, you’ve got the DEP, you’ve got the EPA,” McDermott said. “There are governing bodies that are not going to let that happen.”
At the end of the meeting, the board approved a motion to begin advertising the proposed ordinance change.
Commissioners told Channel 11 they hope more people in the town are more informed about the proposal.
An official vote is expected at next month’s meeting.
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