Hearing On 'Project Laurel' Data Center Set In Limerick, Crowds Expected

LIMERICK, PA — A key conditional use hearing on the Project Laurel data center proposal in Limerick will be held on Tuesday night, and massive crowds are expected.

Bipartisan opposition to the project, one of the largest among numerous major proposals in the region, has swelled in recent months.

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Developers call for a roughly 3 million square foot campus on 192 acres near the Limerick Generating Station. It would require about 750 megawatts of electricity, the power needed to run half a million households.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Limerick Township Building on 646 W. Ridge Pike.

A sidewalk demonstration is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Protesters say they plan to wear red.

Related: Police Will Not Elaborate On Threats To Limerick Area Data Center Projects

Officials say the move of data center meetings the Spring-Ford High School Auditorium to the township municipal building, announced earlier in the spring, was needed for security reasons. But when repeatedly pressed on the nature of the threats, whether they were made against the companies behind the proposals or against the residents who oppose data centers, and whether any arrests have been made, authorities have refused comment.

Critics of data centers, meanwhile, say there's a very good reason that developers would want future meetings at a smaller site: less space for public crowds to voice their disapproval.