Central Pa. residents raise concerns about growing data center development

At a Cumberland County forum, residents heard about potential impacts on the region’s power grid and water.

• 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.

Curious and concerned residents heard from experts, officials and organizers about data center development — and efforts to challenge it — during a community forum in Cumberland County on Tuesday.

Environmental lawyers discussed the developments’ potential effect on the region’s water and power grid while organizers of local grassroots groups shared tips for residents concerned about proposed projects.

John Werner is a member of Stewards of Cumberland County, an advocacy group that formed in response to data center developments.

“We were one of the first organizations that formed locally, and we formed because people were not getting off Facebook,” he said.

Werner spoke about what he called “the importance of people power.”

“There are residents who have mounted robust challenges in municipalities all over the place and beat these data centers,” Werner said. “And our strongest weapon in this fight is one another.”

Michael Ewall, founder of the Energy Justice Network, shared how the developments are projected to strain the power grid.

“By 2030, we need about 60% increase in electric generation to meet the demand… which is largely being driven by the data center boom,” he said.

Residents concerned about potential data center developments in their neighborhoods also asked what they can do to challenge the projects.

“I feel very tiny in a very big space,” said Harrisburg resident Amara Nazario, who is in the early stages of forming a community group to advocate against proposed developments in Swatara Twp., Dauphin County.

“I’m still just wrapping my head around everything and jumping into a fight,” she said.

Werner recommended those who live in a community with a project in the works to find a way to slow down the process.

“The more hurdles that you can throw up, the more inconvenient it is for the developers,” he said.

Amy Zeigler, from the group Protect South Hanover PA, had flyers and a presentation prepared to show the impact of a proposed data center on surrounding communities.

She suggested groups work together and share each other’s strengths, including graphic design, public speaking and organizational skills.

Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas did not say he supports data centers. But he said municipalities are struggling to balance budgets and these expensive developments can provide significant revenue.