Philadelphia Data Center Rules

Philadelphia is developing a local approach to data center siting and regulation, an issue involving zoning, approvals, public input, and safeguards for nearby communities.

Mayor Cherelle Parker established a multiagency task force to assess potential effects on water, energy, infrastructure, public health, pollution, noise, and neighborhoods, while residents and environmental groups have called for stronger protections, including a construction moratorium. Potential locations identified by officials include a site near Northeast Philadelphia Airport and the Bellwether District, though identification of a site does not itself amount to a project proposal. The central question is how the city should govern development and weigh its local impacts.