Municipal voters could approve high-demand data center plats

A decision approving a plat with a high-impact data center would not be final unless voters approve the project. The project must be a data center with peak demand of at least 25 megawatts, on one or more Pennsylvania parcels, and owned, operated, or leased by one entity or affiliated entities. The governing body must adopt a majority-vote resolution for a referendum on the specific project and file it with the county board of elections. A majority voting yes finally approves the application; a majority voting no denies it. The vote must take place at the next election held at least 100 days after the governing body or planning agency decides on the application.

The county board of elections would place the project question on the ballot after receiving the governing body’s resolution. The ballot question concerns the specific high-impact data center project. A sentence before the question must give the project’s acreage, proposed building size, estimated peak electricity demand, estimated water use, and estimated noise. Other election proceedings follow the Pennsylvania Election Code unless this section says otherwise. The ballot details and question appear at the election held at least 100 days after the application decision.