Luzerne County PA proposed data center zoning amendments
Luzerne County, PA — Planning Commission Unanimously Recommends Data Center Zoning Ordinance Amendments to County Council (Oct. 8, 2026)
Luzerne County, PA · Luzerne County, PA, proposed zoning ordinance amendment on data centers (Planning Commission recommendation Oct. 8, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Luzerne County municipalities governed by county zoning
- Enforced by
- Luzerne County Council; Luzerne County Planning and Zoning
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has drafted zoning amendments that set rules for three sizes of data centers, including setbacks from property lines, homes, schools and other sensitive sites, noise limits at property lines and closed-loop cooling. The county planning commission unanimously recommended the amendments to County Council on Oct. 8, 2026. County Council must still vote.
Who is protected: Luzerne County, PA residents
Legal detail
Luzerne County (PA) zoning ordinance amendment establishing standards for Hyperscale (>=100,000 sq ft, up to 200 MW), Major (20,000-100,000 sq ft, up to 100 MW) and Edge/Minor (<20,000 sq ft, up to 20 MW) data centers. Setbacks: 1,000 ft from property lines for hyperscale/major principal buildings, 750 ft accessory, 500/300 ft for edge/minor (Citizens' Voice); 1,250 ft from sensitive receptors, reducible to 1,000 ft (down from an earlier 2,000 ft draft); sound not to exceed 55 dB(A) and 65 dB(C) at the property line (Dallas Post). Planning Commission vote: unanimous, Thursday Oct. 8, 2026. Next: County Council (no date set). Applies in 19 municipalities that rely on county zoning (Dallas Post).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Luzerne County, PA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Citation | Luzerne County, PA, proposed zoning ordinance amendment on data centers (Planning Commission recommendation Oct. 8, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Luzerne County planners recommend data center zoning amendments — The Citizens' Voice (Oct. 9, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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