Any data center in Watts Township must comply with reasonable zoning requirements and site plan approvals.

All structures should be subject to common-sense zoning regulations and specific site plan approval, which define where a data center can be built and establish clear limits on height, scale, and design. These approvals will require formal review by local planning officials to ensure compliance before construction is allowed.

Modern hyperscale data centers are typically around 65 feet high — taller than a high school gymnasium, but shorter than a typical hospital. A building of this size allows multiple equipment floors and higher-density mechanical systems, letting operators fit more computing power onto a given site. This can reduce the overall acreage needed for a data center campus. 

Also needed is space for advanced cooling and electrical infrastructure since modern AI and cloud workloads generate heat. Data centers require large air handlers, cooling equipment, piping, cable trays, backup power systems, and other infrastructure. Specific floor-to-ceiling heights provide room for these systems while maintaining service access and airflow efficiency. In many cases, the 65-foot height is not because the server racks themselves are tall—most racks are only around 7–8 feet high. The extra height is primarily driven by the electrical, cooling, structural, and operational requirements needed to support cloud and AI computing workloads. 

Sound levels are regulated by local authorities and are measured at the property line — not the building itself. The limits — which the U.S. EPA recommends to be below 55dba — are supported by independent acoustical studies and can include additional requirements if needed to address specific conditions or concerns.  

Modern data centers typically mitigate through acoustical mitigation. Mitigation is most effective when incorporated early in the design process. Acoustical mitigation measures that are commonly considered for data center projects include: 

Site Layout and Building Orientation 

• Maximize separation between major sound sources and sensitive areas 

• Orient equipment away from sensitive areas 

• Use buildings to provide shielding where feasible 

Equipment Selection 

• Select low-noise equipment where practicable 

• Specify acoustically treated generators and ventilation systems 

• Consider equipment configurations that reduce overall sound output 

Source Specific Controls 

• Provide silencers on generator exhaust systems 

• Use acoustical enclosures for generators and other high-output equipment 

• Incorporate attenuated louvers or acoustical treatments for ventilation openings if a significant source. 

Physical Barriers and Berms 

• Install acoustical barriers near significant sound sources (i.e., avoid placing at the site boundary) to block line-of-sight propagation 

• Use site grading to provide additional attenuation, if possible 

• Locate barriers strategically to intercept dominant sound paths 

Operational Measures 

• Scheduling generator testing during daytime periods (where permitted), may also help reduce potential impacts

Construction must follow approved timelines and management plans approved by local authorities. The plans must include coordination with township officials on traffic, safety, and scheduling.  

Local governments retain the authority to enforce conditions of approval and require adjustments if construction impacts nearby residents. Modern data centers are typically constructed in 12-18 months, after which point they do not generate significant sound or traffic. 

Modern data center cooling systems can be designed to reuse water rather than draw continuously from local supplies. Any water use, however limited, is subject to state permitting, which sets clear limits on ensures protection of local water resources.  

The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code grants strong review powers to local jurisdictions, which classify data centers as industrial uses.  

Watts Township will require any data center to use a fully closed loop cooling system, which means that the system will be filled one time, and then recirculated for many years. These systems typically require a one-time fill of about 1.5M gallons that is recirculated for roughly 15 years — about the same use as two single-family homes over the course of the same time period. Any daily use would be limited to employee facilities like sinks and toilets. 

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, modern data centers use about .07% of the world’s entire industrial water use — far less water than other industrial uses like manufacturing (and not to mention more common uses like farming or golf courses). 

Large infrastructure projects must coordinate with electric utilities and are responsible for funding the infrastructure needed to connect to the grid. These arrangements are reviewed by state utility regulators to ensure reliability and protect existing residential customers.  

At the state level, Pennsylvania has established additional guardrails through the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards. These standards set clear expectations that large-scale infrastructure projects — including data centers — must protect ratepayers, strengthen grid reliability, and demonstrate that any impacts on local communities are addressed and mitigated. 

Together, utility oversight and state-level standards ensure that new development does not shift infrastructure costs onto residents and must meet defined requirements before moving forward. 

According to third-party analysis by Energy & Environmental Economics, there is no single correlation between data center load growth and rising utility rates — and in fact, data centers have the ability to generate surplus utility revenue from paying more than the cost to serve them, which can lower residential rates. Learn more. 

Beyond regulatory requirements, many projects include formal programs or agreements that direct investment into local priorities — like education, public infrastructure, youth programs — ensuring that community benefits are defined and accountable. Watts Township should be able to have strong involvement in decision-making when it comes to these community investments.