• Why Your Municipality Needs a Strong Data Center Ordinance
• Responsible Data Center Checklist
• Data Center Ordinance FAQ for Residents
• Data Center Myths and Facts
• Questions Residents Should Ask Developers

Common Scenarios

• Scenario Guide
• 100 MW Gas-Powered Data Center Scenario

Impacts to Understand

• Why Data Center Noise Matters
• Air Pollution and Data Center Generators
• Data Centers, Cooling, Water Use, and Wastewater
• Emergency Response and Power Infrastructure
• State/Federal Permits, Ozone Nonattainment, and Closed-Loop Coolants
• Ongoing Compliance Verification and Cost Recovery
• Communications, RF/EMI, and Ordinance Impact Crosswalk
• Fuel Storage, Security, and Emergency Response
• Reference Links and Further Reading

Take Action - Resources for Activists

• SPG Data Center One Page (tabling)
• Does Your Municipality Have a Strong Data Center Ordinance? Scorecard
• Public Hearing Toolkit for Residents

A strong ordinance does not ban data centers; it requires responsible siting, objective standards, and proof of compliance. Large fossil-fueled generation serving a data center has separate impacts and should be reviewed as a separate land use.

To ask a question or learn how you can contribute to the Data Center team, use the SPG Volunteer Interest Form. A volunteer leader will get back to you.

• Sierra Club resources
  • Sierra Club PA Chapter Data Center page 
  • Sierra Club PA Chapter Local Governments Best Practices Fact Sheet for Data Centers
  • National Sierra Club 2026 Data Center Policy Guidance
  • Unconstrained Demand - Virginia Chapter
  • Amazon Delivers ... Frustration - PA Chapter article about the July 14 Community Meeting
     
• Local Resources, Examples & Advocacy Groups
  • Chester County resources page
  • PennFuture Model Ordinance, short video series
  • Chadds Ford Twp, Delaware County, data center ordinance
  • Upper Merion Twp, Montgomery County, data center ordinance
  • Find Links to Local Advocacy Groups on the Tracking Projects page
     
• PA and National Resources
  • Penn State Extension and the College of Agricultural Sciences: 
    • A Guide to Common Questions, 
    • the Penn State Research and Extension Network for Data Centers in PA
  • This report on Diesel Generators from The Better Data Center Project 
  • Data Centers Increase Electromagnetic Fields Exposure from Environmental Health Sciences 
  • Physicians for Social Responsibility - 2 page fact sheet
  • Nature Forward

Go to

• Data Centers - top page
• Data Center Resources for Government Officials
• Data Center Resources for Concerned Residents (this page)
• Tracking Data Center Projects in Southeastern PA