Jun 13, 2026 3 min read

No doubt about it: Data centers are a hot topic. A polarizing one, too.

And South Strabane officials are to be commended for their diligence in doing their homework before adopting an ordinance that regulates the developments in the township.

While many of the residents would have preferred an outright ban – which is both unrealistic and exclusionary – officials worked hard and took their time to create an ordinance that takes into account the community’s concerns while providing clear guidelines for developers.

For the past six months, people have packed township meetings to express their concerns about data centers’ energy and water usage, noise and potential pollution. While there are no current plans to build one in the township, a tract of Zediker Station Road property owned by CNX Resources being marketed for sale as suitable for a large-scale data center to power artificial intelligence spurred the conversation.

Among other stipulations, the ordinance adopted Tuesday calls for a 1,500-foot setback from any occupied residence, which, according to township solicitor Dennis Makel, is among the largest in any Pennsylvania municipal ordinance. Before the vote, a CNX Resources attorney lobbied unsuccessfully for the township to lower the setback to 1,000 feet.

Scenes similar to the one in South Strabane are playing out in municipal meeting rooms across the region. North Franklin Township adopted an ordinance in April, and Cecil Township officials are deliberating, to cite just a few.

The pros and cons of data centers were discussed earlier this month during a town hall at Penn State Fayette, with supporters pointing to the myriad economic benefits a data center would bring to the region, including job creation, especially during construction. How many long-term opportunities would be available after completion, however, appears to be up for debate.

Make no mistake, data centers are essential to maintaining and expanding the advanced technology that provides much of the modern conveniences we enjoy today. Last February, Dr. Lisa Kovalchick, professor and chair of Pennsylvania Western University’s Department of Computing and Engineering Technology, told the newspaper that the rush to build the centers is being fueled by AI and cryptocurrency.

“(AI) is constantly storing data and learning from the data,” she explained. “All that leads to the need for more and more servers to store data, and more computers to be able to do the computations…”

Like it or not, the subject isn’t disappearing from the headlines anytime soon. Our hope is that local leaders follow South Strabane’s lead and take their time to do what’s best for everyone.