While data centers have existed as distinct land uses since at least the 1990s, cloud computing and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) are driving an unprecedented expansion in their scale and pace of development. This page contains links to articles, reports, model ordinances, and other resources relevant to planning for data centers and their impacts on local communities, from sources both inside and outside of Pennsylvania. It is divided into two sections:

• Pennsylvania Data Center Resources
• National Data Center Resources

For information on bills addressing data centers introduced into the Pennsylvania General Assembly, visit the 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania website.

Pennsylvania Data Center Resources

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
Data Centers and Land Use
This webpage provides news and information on data centers in Pennsylvania, including pending state legislation.

Chester and Montgomery County Planning Commissions
Data Center Ordinance Guide, April 2026
This guide provides practical recommendations for regulating large-scale data centers, including definitions, potential benefits and impacts, performance standards, and model ordinance language.

Cumberland County Planning Department
Planning for Data Centers, January 2025
This white paper examines data center definitions, locational requirements, community impacts, and zoning considerations for Cumberland County municipalities.

Data Center Proposal Tracker
Pennsylvania Webpage
This citizen-run collaborative mapping project was started as the Pennsylvania Data Center Proposal Map and subsequently expanded nationally. It aggregates and tracks data center proposals, projects, and related development activity throughout the U.S. in a single searchable database.

Lancaster County Planning Commission
A Planning Guide Pertaining to Data Centers in Lancaster County, PA, November 2025
This guide answers frequently asked questions regarding data centers and their impacts and recommends best practices for data center ordinances.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
Lehigh Valley Industrial Land Use Guide, January 2026
This resource provides guidance on managing data centers and other industrial land uses in the Lehigh Valley, including land consumption, infrastructure demands, and tools for local governments.

PennFuture
Data Centers
This website includes resources on the impacts of data centers on Pennsylvania communities, including a policy position supporting a statewide moratorium, a community toolkit, and a model ordinance.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
DEP’s Oversight of Data Center Development, April 2026
This fact sheet summarizes DEP permitting and regulatory responsibilities related to data center development, including air quality, water withdrawal, wastewater, and other environmental review requirements.

Pennsylvania Municipal League
Walko, John F., Esq. and Finn L. Skovdal, Esq. Uniformity vs. Authority: Data Center Preemption of Pennsylvania Municipalities, Municipal Reporter, Pennsylvania Data Centers Edition.
This article examines state and local roles in regulating data center development, including issues of preemption.

Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC)
Data Centers & Water Use
This website explains SRBC’s role in regulating water withdrawals by data centers and provides information on their potential water demands.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
Planning Toolkit Factsheet: Data Centers
This fact sheet covers data center development and its implications for land use, infrastructure, utilities, and local planning and zoning.

York County
Data Center Development
This webpage provides information and resources on data center development trends, community impacts, and planning considerations for local governments, including a Data Center Model Ordinance.

National Data Center Resources

American Association for the Advancement of Science
Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues. Key Questions to Ask When Considering Data Centers in Your Community, March 2026
This resource provides a framework to help communities evaluate the potential benefits, costs, and impacts of proposed data center development.

American Planning Association (APA)
APA Resources on data centers include:

• Morley, David. Managing AI Build-Out in a Winner-Take-Most World, APA Blog, October 2025
• Nichols, Charlie. The Physical Footprint of Artificial Intelligence, Zoning Practice, October 2025
• Spencer, Timothy. Data Center Waste Heat Recovery, PAS QuickNotes 117, March 2026
• Tedino, Joe. Is Using Green Energy to Power Data Centers a Solution to Community Concerns?, Planning Magazine, December 2025

Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution has developed a variety of resources on data centers, for example:

• Goetzel, Daniel, Mark Muro, and Shriya Methkupally. Turning the Data Center Boom into Long-Term, Local Prosperity, February 2026. Brookings Metro Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative Research Report
• Lee, Nicol Turner, and Darrell M. West. The Future of Data Centers, Brookings Institution, November 2025
• Lee, Nicol Turner, and Darrell M. West. Why Community Benefit Agreements are Necessary for Data Centers, February 2026. Brookings Metro Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative Research Report.
• Pipa, Anthony F. and Adam Aley. The Local Implications of Data Centers for Rural Communities in the US, January 2026. Research summary of America’s Rural Future virtual symposium.

Data Center Proposal Tracker
This citizen-run collaborative mapping project aggregates and tracks data center proposals, projects, and related development activity throughout the U.S. in a single searchable database.

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Gorey, John. Data Drain: The Land and Water Impacts of the AI Boom, Land Lines Magazine, October 2025
This article examines the implications of AI-driven data center development for land consumption, water resources, and local communities.

Loudon County, VA
Turner, Mike. Loudoun County, Virginia: Data Center Capital of the World – A Strategy for a Changing Paradigm, June 2026 (original edition: July 2024)
This white paper covers lessons learned in the community with the largest concentration of data centers in the world, including emerging trends, future scenarios, and 15 best practices for local communities.

NAACP
Stop Dirty Data Centers
This website contains resources to help communities address the negative impacts of data centers, including a community benefits agreement template and recommendations for protecting frontline communities.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
Data Center Planning Resources for EDDs & RDOs
This website contains links to reports, model ordinances, and policy analyses that address planning, economic, and infrastructure considerations related to data centers. Prepared for economic development professionals.

University of Michigan
Liang, Xiaofan. From Infrastructure to Implications: Data Center 101 for Urban Planners, University of Michigan White Paper, February 2026
This white paper covers the basics of data centers and addresses their implications for six key areas of concern for planners.

Urban Land Institute
Miet, Hannah, lead author. Local Guidelines for Data Center Development, ULI Americas Data Center Product Council, 2024.
This report provides best practices and recommendations on planning for and regulating data center development and community impacts, including model zoning ordinance guidelines.

U.S. Green Building Council
Applying LEED to Data Center Projects, March 2026.
This webpage addresses how LEED principles can be applied to data center design and operation to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental performance.

World Resources Institute
Walker, Carla, and Ian Goldsmith. From Energy Use to Air Quality, the Many Ways Data Centers Affect US Communities, Water Resources Institute Insights, February 2026 This article examines the environmental and community impacts of U.S. data centers, including electricity demand, air quality, water use, and implications for environmental justice.