A quiet Pennsylvania borough has become a front line in America’s AI infrastructure boom. In Archbald, residents are pushing back hard against a development plan they say could permanently reshape their town.

Why Archbald Became a Target for Data Center Developers

Archbald, a borough of about 7,000 people roughly 134 miles north of Philadelphia, has drawn outsized attention from data center developers because it offers many of the ingredients these facilities need. The town sits near the 500-kilovolt Susquehanna–Roseland power line, has access to water resources, and contains large tracts of open or formerly industrial land left behind after the collapse of coal mining. In 2023, the borough updated its zoning ordinance to allow data centers, explicitly permitting what it called an “internet server building.”

That zoning shift opened the door to a wave of proposals. According to reporting cited by Realtor.com and the Washington Post, six data center campuses have been proposed, containing 51 warehouse-sized buildings that together would cover about 14% of Archbald’s land. One plan, Project Gravity, calls for seven two-story buildings of about 138,000 square feet each across more than 180 acres. Another, Wildcat Ridge, would place 14 two-story facilities on 400 acres of wooded land.

A separate proposal known as Project Boson would replace an auto parts junkyard with a data center of nearly 620,000 square feet. For developers, these projects represent strategic expansion in a fast-growing sector. For many residents, they arrived with startling speed and scale.

The Environmental and Economic Concerns Driving Local Resistance

Opposition in Archbald is not rooted in one single issue. Residents and local organizers have raised a broad set of objections that include deforestation, noise, light pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, electricity demand, and the fear that property values could weaken near large industrial-style campuses. Sarah Gabriel of the Archbald Neighborhood Association told Realtor.com that the group is fighting back through public awareness, local government action, and legal challenges.

The physical changes are already central to the anger. Residents described wooded land being cleared, including roughly 180 acres near homes, schools, and parks. What had been habitat for black bears, deer, coyotes, and owls is now, in some places, stripped terrain awaiting construction. That visual transformation has made the threat feel immediate rather than theoretical.

Cost concerns are just as serious. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and cooling, and critics worry that utilities will eventually pass infrastructure costs to ordinary households. Aaron Wright, CEO of climate tech firm Solomon Group and Solomon e3, warned that as utilities race to meet AI-driven demand, rising infrastructure costs can land on everyday ratepayers. Examples elsewhere have sharpened those fears, including a Meta facility in Newton County, Georgia, reported to use about 500,000 gallons of water a day, roughly 10% of the county’s supply.

A Community Divided Over Growth, Trust, and Accountability

Supporters of the projects argue that Archbald needs new investment. Like many former coal communities, the borough has struggled to replace lost industry and a shrinking economic base. Data centers can produce tax revenue, temporary construction jobs, and infrastructure upgrades that may benefit broadband, roads, and electrical systems. To some residents and officials, that prospect is difficult to dismiss.

Yet the backlash shows how fragile public trust becomes when industrial-scale development moves faster than community understanding. Mayor Shirley Barrett told the Washington Post that the debate had “destroyed this community,” capturing the emotional toll of packed meetings, public anger, and uncertainty over what comes next. Several council and planning officials reportedly resigned, with some expressing concerns about safety and escalating tensions.

National politics have added another layer. In March, major technology companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI backed a Ratepayer Protection Pledge intended to ensure that AI-related power expansion would be funded by the companies rather than households. But in Archbald, promises made far from town hall have not settled local fears. Residents are still asking the most basic questions: who benefits, who pays, and what kind of town will remain if the projects move forward?