Frackville council members voted unanimously earlier this week to formally oppose a proposed data center on its border with New Castle Township.
Council said it will send a letter to New Castle supervisors expressing their opposition to the proposed project.
Frackville’s regular monthly council meeting was attended by a couple dozen residents who attended the New Castle supervisors meeting earlier in the week and expressed their concerns over the presumed data center project.
After council members voted in favor of sending a letter to New Castle Township, the concerned residents applauded the action.
The proposed data center would be located between Interstate 81 in New Castle and Laurel St. in Frackville, the citizen’s group says. Maps provided by New Castle supervisors seem to support that claim.
In addition to the environmental and aesthetic concerns expressed by Frackville residents over the project, there is also worry that even though the proposed project is located on the borough’s border, none of the financial benefits – mostly from property tax revenue – would be realized locally. Instead, that revenue would go to New Castle and Saint Clair Area School District.
Per the plans acquired by Coal Region Canary, four long structures would make up the data center complex with a substation also located on the New Castle parcel.
New Castle officials said Tuesday that nothing is official with regard to the proposed data center project. The land in question is currently owned by Mount Laurel Enterprises, which has a PO Box address in Mahanoy City.
A sale of that land to KRNL Data Centers, of New York City, is allegedly proposed for Sept. 19, according to Ryan Twardzik, who spoke on behalf of concerned Frackville.
If and when that sale is completed, KRNL would still face zoning issues in New Castle Township. At their meeting on Tuesday, Solicitor James Conville said communication with the prospective developer has been spotty recently.
New Castle secretary/treasurer Kim Lutzkanin said the township hasn’t received any formal application for the project from the developer. She said the township’s official position on the project is “We don’t have a position.”
Conville said KRNL wants New Castle to amend its zoning map to allow a data center project and would likely require a variance to construct the facility on the land in question.
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Frank
September 14, 2025 at 8:12 am
Data Centers are needed for AI, which is the future, like it or not. They would never put a data center where there would be a question on electricity. Data centers have their own back up generators. Residents always take priority over data centers when it comes to power. It’s very short-sighted to oppose this kind of project.
Ron
September 14, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Typical of small town thinking.
Don’t want change, have zero alternatives to offer.
Can’t see past – there is nothing in it for us.
Frackville is dying.
A data center brings good high paying jobs, which means someone needs to move there, buy stuff, etc…. It’s comes back at you in other revenues for long periods of time.
Not to discount the construction jobs where hotels, gas, supplies all get bought in the community.
It isn’t even in Frackville – so what’s there concern of jealous porch sitters watching folks get ahead.
A porch sitter
September 30, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Data centers after the initial construction only need about 50 or less workers to run. Water cooling however is obscene unless using a closed system. The electricity needs are similar to a small city. I propose Centralia PA for the new data center.