Data centers are rising like small cities across the state of Pennsylvania, and local residents are increasingly irate at the noise, water and power consumption and strong 24/7 lighting.

In Schuylkill County, a data center in Kline Township is plowing through the permitting process; its construction appears to be inevitable.

Plans may be coalescing for another one in the Highridge Business Park, Butler Township.

Residents have been flocking to Schuylkill County commissioners meetings to describe their worries to officials in the hope of keeping the vast facilities at bay.

Retired science teacher Roseann Weinrich, Butler Township, recently called for commissioners to sign on to a petition to halt new construction until the protection of local residents’ water, power and natural environments can be guaranteed.

She’s concerned, too, that residents are being kept in the dark about data center plans until it’s too late to try to stop them.

“We’re in a state of limbo right now because no one is telling us the truth,” she said.

Chris Melusky, Norwegian Township, said that while data centers will likely not be able to be stopped, he wants protections in place.

“We all use AI and technology every single day. Data centers are coming, whether people like it or not. So let me be clear, I’m not against data centers. I’m against poorly planned data centers being dropped into residential and environmentally sensitive areas where they negatively impact the quality of life of the people who already live there,” he said.

“I support reasonable development where local government identifies appropriate industrial locations, establishes protections, creates clear ordinances and puts residents before corporate interests.”

Commissioners Chairman Larry L. Padora Jr. asked county lawyers to find out if there are any potential data center site that are in tax-exemption zones.

“There should not be a tax incentive or tax break for a data center,” he said.”I instruct our county solicitor to that if there is any property that is being considered for a data center that has a LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance), to see if we can pull it out of the LERTA.

“If a (data center) is going to come here, it’s coming here because we have the space, power and water,” he said.

Padora has said data centers, when regulated and built in non-residential, non-farm areas, could offset county property taxes for years.

The county has drafted a “Responsible Infrastructure Development” plan, building on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal, that would govern where the monolithic industries could be built, what steps developers would need to take to minimize negative impacts on the environment, power and water usage, and effluent discharge, among other things.

The county planning commission on Wednesday discussed the proposal and is expected to weigh in on the plan after further discussion.

Commissioners expect to consider the plan further when they meet at 10 a.m. Thursday.