$10.5 billion data center campus proposed for 157 acres in Swatara Township

Developers plan to build a two-building data center campus on 157 acres in Swatara Twp., Dauphin County.

• Haley O'Brien/WITF
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  Haley O'Brien joined WITF in 2026. A native of Scranton, she enjoys exploring Pennsylvania's diverse communities. Haley previously worked at NPR/PBS stations in Northeast Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, and has won awards for video storytelling and beat reporting.

A 157-acre property in Swatara Township could soon become the site of a $10.5 billion data center campus that has drawn strong opposition from residents who worry about the project’s impact on their quality of life.  

Corscale, a Texas-based data center developer, presented plans for its US Highlands East Project at the township’s planning commission meeting Sept. 8. 

The proposed development would be located along Highland Street, bordering I-283 behind the WITF Public Media Center and the Red Lion Hotel. It would also sit near nearly a dozen homes.  

The project would include two one-story buildings, about 372,000 sq. ft. each, as well as a PPL switch station and a private substation. 

About a dozen residents who spoke at the meeting earlier this month raised concerns about the project’s power use, water consumption and stormwater management.  

“That’s a lot for us,” said commissioner Tom Connolly. “Some of them certainly had concerns.”  

Corscale representatives answered questions and shared land development plans at the Sept. 8 meeting. 

Erik Draaisma is executive vice president at Corscale, the Texas-based developer with three data centers in Virginia and others in development. 

“This project is fully funded, it’s not speculative,” he said. “And we do have a very far developed tenant in tow.” 

The tenant will not be revealed until that is made final. 

Power concerns 

Power was noted as a concern from residents at the start of the meeting.  

“I’m worried about power generation,” said Megan O’Neil. “I would like to have that addressed and the backup source. The backup source being maybe wind or solar and not generators.” 

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission released an independent analysis this week that found that the grid cannot keep up with the rapidly growing electricity demand sparked by data centers.  

Draaisma said the location was chosen partially because of its proximity to power lines. 

“It’s no secret data centers need a lot of power,” he said.  

Draaisma said PPL confirmed the availability of grid power for the project. 

“The power is coming from the grid,” he said. “And we are paying for all of that.” 

The public asked about stormwater management. Bill Rearden from Bohler Engineering said that tests confirmed that the plan in place would meet the township’s requirements. 

Draaisma said this project will require minimal water use, consuming about 7,000 gallons a day in a closed loop system.  

“A midsize office building is probably the equivalent of that,” he said. 

Draaisma said the tenant will not generate their own power onsite as a primary source. The property will include about 12 generators for backup.  

Connolly said he was pleased the developer directly answered residents’ questions.  

One resident, Justin Bradnick, applauded the project and encouraged the commissioners to think about ways to spend the tax revenue to benefit residents in the township.  

“Provide paid firefighters, after school care, summer programs. All this can be done,” Bradnick said. “Everything is going up and the township needs the monetary resources to provide what we want for its citizens.”  

Resident Damond Wagner requested more specifics about what will actually be inside the buildings. 

“I think there needs to be a bit of transparency between the developer and the community,” he said. 

Corscale plans to host an information session in October to provide more details.