The 1-million-square-foot Amazon data center planned for Falls Township has pleased elected officials but has raised concerns among environmental advocates, writes Naomi Weiss for the Bucks County Beacon.
Announced in June, the complex will be at the Keystone Trade Center. It is part of Amazon’s $20 billion AI and cloud infrastructure investment in Pennsylvania, aligning with Governor Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan to bolster energy production.
However, while elected officials at both local and state levels welcomed the news, environmental activists remain concerned. Reported effects of data centers include significant water strain, higher carbon dioxide emissions and increased electricity use.
In addition to environmental effects, similar data centers have resulted in higher local electricity rates. An Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report found that ratepayers in West Virginia will “pay more than $440 million over the next 40 years” for high-voltage transmission projects related to incoming data centers.
Regulators try to assign major infrastructure costs to the customers causing them, but not always successfully.
“The cost for upgrades to the grid can be passed on to customers, and we’re already sort of seeing that happen, especially in PJM’s region,” said Quentin Good, a Frontier Group policy analyst.
Read more about the planned Amazon data center in Falls Township, its economic promise, environmental concerns, and how it fits into Pennsylvania’s energy future in the Bucks County Beacon.
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