Yesterday, Amazon and Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that a $20 billion investment will be made to establish multiple high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation campuses across the commonwealth. Salem Township, Luzerne County and Falls Township, Bucks County have been identified as the first sites for the campuses and multiple additional communities are under consideration.  

Data centers are an emerging use in Pennsylvania and come in various shapes and sizes. The facilities under development by Amazon will be a major facility that will be used to develop new generative AI, machine learning services and AI applications. Such facilities have an enormous need for electricity and generally locate near a power source. The facility in Salem Township will be located by a power plant, in an overlay zoning district the township created in 2024 for this type of AI data center. This is more proof that townships are not the obstacle in new energy or economic development projects. 

Want to learn more about the various types of data centers coming to Pennsylvania to prepare from a zoning and planning perspective? PSATS will hold a webinar on 6/18/25 on Data Centers in Your Township and you can click here to register. For more about the Amazon announcement, click here and here for the governor’s press release.