Protest Planned Ahead Of Tuesday AI Data Center Hearing In Limerick

LIMERICK TOWNSHIP, PA — Protesters will gather before the conditional use hearing in Limerick Tuesday night as residents continue to battle to stop the threat of data center development in the region.

The protest will take place at 5:30 p.m. ahead of the 6:30 p.m. meeting at the Limerick Township building.

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Key on the agenda Tuesday night is the attempt by numerous neighbors in the area to obtain "party status" in the proceedings.

Party status is a legal designation which allows individuals to participate more thoroughly in the township's hearing and review process. Those with party status have far more power to have their concerns heard and to stall or even prevent development altogether.

Tuesday night is the latest hearing in the ongoing contentious fight between AI data center developers, township commissioners, and a bipartisan coalition of residents sounding the alarm on the proposal.

"Project Laurel" 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.

Demonstrators Tuesday night asked to all dress up in red to stand in solidarity.

Limerick Township said that there would be a heightened security presence at the event, and outlined in a detailed social media post where attendees were and were not allowed to stand. The township and Limerick police claimed in the spring that there were "security threats" related to data centers that led them to move all future hearings to the township building. Officials said this was for security purposes, but data center opponents said it was a calculated move to limit the attendance of residents standing against the proposals.

Repeated requests to police for details on the threats were ignored.

The Limerick Township Building is located on 646 W. Ridge Pike.