Radnor is weighing strict regulations on data centers as the facilities crop up across Pa.
A draft ordinance in the Main Line township would limit data center development to two office park districts and set stringent limits on the facilities' construction and operations.
Radnor is considering an amendment to its zoning code that would strictly regulate data centers as plans to develop the facilities proliferate across the Philadelphia region.
Township commissioners on Monday advanced a preliminary draft ordinance that would limit data center development to two office park districts in Radnor and would set stringent limits on the facilities’ noise, heat, and natural resource usage, and proximity to residential homes.
The ordinance is in early stages and will be subject to feedback from commissioners, the public, and various township boards and committees before coming back for an official vote.
Megan Donovin, Radnor’s zoning officer, said at the meeting that no data centers are currently proposed for Radnor, but that passing zoning regulations will allow the township to “establish clear standards” and “maintain as much local control as possible.”
Local governments in Pennsylvania can’t legally ban data centers altogether, but they can create zoning regulations that dictate their location, size, energy usage, and construction protocols.
“The intent is really to keep this at a smaller, controlled scale and avoid the type of purpose-built, hyper-scale facility that people usually picture when they hear the term ‘data center,’” Donovin said.
Under the proposed ordinance, data center construction in Radnor would be limited to laboratory-office zoning districts and would need to be approved as a conditional use by commissioners.
One of Radnor’s laboratory-office zones, located off Radnor Chester Road, houses a Penn Medicine building, restaurants, and corporate offices and abuts Radnor High School. The other, located off Matsonford Road, houses office buildings and shares borders with residential neighborhoods and Archbishop John Carroll High School.
Radnor’s ordinance would mandate data center developers submit water, thermal impact, and power feasibility studies for township approval ahead of construction. The ordinance would require data centers use air-based or closed-loop liquid cooling systems and comply with various state and federal environmental control standards.
After construction, data centers would need to have a publicly available contact to respond to any complaints within 72 hours. The ordinance would also require data center developers to provide a $100,000 deposit to the township that would be paid back five years after the facility reaches full production, except for any funds needed to remediate adverse impacts from the data center on the local water supply.
Officials noted that the ordinance is likely to change with feedback.
Radnor’s ordinance arrives as data center construction has boomed across Pennsylvania, and as organized groups of residents are increasingly urging their municipalities to crack down on the facilities’ development.
Delaware County issued guidance in May recommending that data centers be classified as a conditional use and that any ordinances regulating their use address noise, heat, light pollution, and water usage.
Gov. Josh Shapiro in August signed a sweeping executive order restricting data center development and requiring local approval for the projects to earn state permits.
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