Data Center Resources

Data Centers are a hot topic in Pennsylvania these days. Several county planning commissions are providing resources to help municipalities:

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission recently released their Lehigh County Industrial Land Use Guide, which introduces emerging and evolving industrial land uses, like Digital Infrastructure and Tech Facilities; Advanced Manufacturing; Freight, Logistics, and Supply Chain Infrastructure; Energy Generation, Storage and Management; and Resource Extraction and Mineral Supply. The guide also offers suggestions for how municipalities can manage industrial land use impact.

Chester County Planning Commission has created a page about Data Centers on their website. It includes an overview of data centers’ locational needs, as well as Guidance Documents, Model Ordinances, and Data Center Mapping resources.

In November 2025, Lancaster County Planning Commission issued A Planning Guide Pertaining to Data Centers in Lancaster County, PA that looked at the impacts of data center proposals from the needs related to a data center, addresses frequently asked questions, and provides suggested best practices for data center ordinance development.

York County Planning Commission has a devoted webpage to data center information. It includes a white paper for Data Center Development in York County. and a data center model ordinance.

Cumberland County Planning Commission is hosting a Data Center Information Session (both virtual and in person) on April 29, 2026 starting at 6:30 pm. Topics include data center growth & key locations, impacts on electric rates, water usage, noise, and open space; impacts on jobs, tax revenue, and digital infrastructure; and best practices for development & community engagement. Register by April 23. They also issued a white paper on Data Centers in early 2025.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission has developed a Data Center Fact Sheet as part of their Toolkit.

This is not an exhaustive list of available information but provides a starting point for researching this hot topic.