Ransom Twp PA data center ordinance
Ransom Township (Lackawanna County), PA — Supervisors Adopt Data Center Ordinance: Conditional Use, 40-Ft Height Cap, 8-Acre Lot Area, Noise/Air/Wastewater Standards (Oct. 5, 2026)
Ransom Township, PA · Ransom Township, PA, data center ordinance (adopted Oct. 5, 2026)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Ransom Township, PA
- Enforced by
- Ransom Township Board of Supervisors
Ransom Township supervisors in northeastern Pennsylvania adopted an ordinance on Oct. 5, 2026 that sets rules for future data centers. Data centers are a conditional use needing township approval, with a 40-foot height limit, an 8-acre lot area, and standards for buffering, fencing, wastewater, air quality, noise, lighting, and battery and fuel storage. The solicitor said data centers would be allowed only in industrial zones.
Who is protected: Ransom Township, PA residents
Legal detail
Conditional-use framework; supervisors must issue a written decision within 45 days after the hearing (per article). Standards: max height 40 ft; lot area 8 acres; buffering, fencing, wastewater management, air quality, odor, glare and emissions, battery and fuel storage, parking, noise and vibration, lighting. Solicitor William Rinaldi confirmed industrial-zone only. Context: Scranton Materials' curative-amendment challenge (filed Nov. 2025) for six data centers at its 251-acre quarry; Mudiita Land Venture LLC bought 528.6 acres for a hyperscale campus. NOT ESTABLISHED: ordinance number, vote count, effective date.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Ransom Township, PA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | October 5, 2026 |
| Citation | Ransom Township, PA, data center ordinance (adopted Oct. 5, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Ransom Twp. supervisors approve ordinance regulating data center development — Scranton Times-Tribune (Oct. 6, 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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