West Mahanoy invokes six month moratorium on data centers, solar farms, mulls regulations

West Mahanoy invokes six month moratorium on data centers, solar farms, mulls regulations

No data center development imminent, officials say

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – West Mahanoy Township is pressing pause on potential data center developments for the next six months.

Township supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution invoking the curative amendment process for both data centers and solar farms.

Solicitor Jim Amato said the township had been reviewing their ordinances and “determined that we don’t have the protections in place for data centers or solar farms.”

“We can’t exclude these types of things from coming into the township,” Amato added. “But you can control it.”

The curative amendment process allows the township to declare the zoning ordinance deficient and to cure any issues, in this case “with respect to data center uses and solar farms.

“The township shall not be required to entertain or consider any landowner’s curative amendment or proposals for a data center use or solar farm within 180 days,” the resolution states. “The West Mahanoy Township Zoning Ordinance is hereby declared to be invalid as it relates to the regulation of data centers, solar farms, ...