Data centers are allowed only as conditional uses in districts where they are permitted, requiring approval by the Board of Supervisors in addition to ordinary zoning and land-development approvals.

A data-center parcel must contain at least 25 acres.

Applicants must obtain a traffic-impact study prepared by a registered design professional and approved by the Township Engineer.

Applicants must submit a water-feasibility study addressing projected demand, nearby wells and streams, safe yield, groundwater effects, water recycling or release, mitigation, and professional qualifications.

A data center may not be approved if its water use creates an adverse impact on nearby wells or increases the risk of failure of an existing water source, and the June proposal would also prohibit limiting otherwise allowable development within an affected well area of influence.

Projects meeting the stated thresholds must provide Susquehanna River Basin Commission review and approval: withdrawals of at least 100,000 gallons per day averaged over 30 days, or consumptive use of at least 20,000 gallons per day averaged over 30 days.

Applicants should provide an electric-service interconnection agreement showing that capacity is available and the facility will be served, including disclosure of known impacts on electric rates or availability for other users.

On-site electric generation beyond life-safety requirements must comply with the Township's electric-power-generation-facility standards; under the June proposal, combustion-engine generation must meet Tier 4 Final emission standards.

Electric power-generation facilities associated with a data center may not exceed 250 MW of total rated capacity.

All exterior lighting must comply with the Township's illumination requirements.

A professional acoustical sound study is required during conditional-use review, and the facility must be designed to limit sound at external property lines to no more than 45 dB(A); the June proposal also adds a 45 dB(C) limit.

A second, as-built sound study is required six months after the certificate of occupancy and remains tied to final escrow release for the applicable land-development phase; the Township may order additional studies at the developer's expense.

If an as-built study shows a sound violation, the zoning permit is rescinded until the developer demonstrates compliance, and the Township may revoke permits if the violation is not remediated.

An environmental assessment or environmental study must accompany the applicable subdivision, land-development, zoning, or conditional-use application.

Screening must be provided in accordance with the Township's screening requirements.

The June proposal requires advance public outreach before filing a conditional-use application or land-development plan: notice must be mailed to residents and homeowners' associations within one mile of the parcel, and the mailing list and communication must be provided to the Township.

The June proposal requires at least two public meetings with nearby residents, with signs erected at high-visibility locations at least 15 days before each meeting and containing specified project and meeting information.

Applicants must provide financial surety for improvements, performance, maintenance, and decommissioning; the June proposal separately requires a water-depletion or contamination bond of at least $5 million.

A decommissioning plan must address removal of data-center structures, equipment, electronic waste, and hazardous materials, and contractual documents must bind successors and future owners or operators to those obligations.

Before permit issuance, the applicant must post financial security for decommissioning in an amount approved by the Township and not less than 110 percent of the engineer's cost estimate, including electronic-waste removal and disposal costs.

Decommissioning security must remain in place until the facility is fully decommissioned, electronic waste is properly managed, and the site is restored; the Township may draw on the security and require replenishment.

The owner or operator must notify the Township within 30 days after cessation, abandonment, or commencement of a qualifying partial shutdown; a facility is presumed abandoned after 12 continuous months without demonstrable efforts to resume operations.

If decommissioning is not completed within 18 months after cessation or abandonment, the Township may complete it at the property owner's expense.

Decommissioning cost estimates must be updated every 10 years during operation and after material facility modifications, with financial security adjusted to at least 110 percent of the revised estimate.

The June proposal limits vibration to 0.15 inches per second at adjoining property lines and prohibits vibration that can be felt without instruments beyond the property lines; additional studies may be required.

Applicants must study potential effects on the local and regional climate and provide mitigation so the project does not measurably increase temperature, humidity, or airflow outside the parcel.

The maximum building size for a data center is 25,000 square feet.

Only closed-loop cooling systems may be used, and the proposed definition excludes systems that use evaporation to discharge heat to the environment.

The June proposal prohibits tree removal, clearing, grading, utility installation, access-road installation, and other site disturbance before conditional-use, land-development, and required zoning, grading, stormwater, NPDES, driveway, and building approvals are issued and appeal periods expire, subject to limited investigative-work exceptions.

Before permits authorizing clearing or construction are issued, the applicant must document material procurement commitments for critical long-lead equipment, and construction generally may not begin earlier than 90 days before the first documented contractual delivery date unless the Board grants a written modification.

Conditional-use approval expires if required land-development, grading, zoning, stormwater, or building-permit applications are not submitted within 12 months, unless extended for good cause; approval may also expire if substantial work does not begin within six months after the first grading or building permit.

Before grading or building permits are issued, the applicant must identify the operator or end user if secured, or submit a binding worst-case operational profile; no certificate of occupancy may be issued until the operator or end user is certified as materially consistent with the approved profile.

Material changes from the approved operator or operational profile may require supplemental Township review or amended conditional-use approval.

Data centers must provide 24-hour emergency contact signage, and facilities proposing battery energy-storage systems must comply with NFPA 855 or similar standards and install battery-specific fire suppression.

Applicants must submit an emergency response plan for municipal review, and the applicant or its successors must pay for additional emergency-services equipment, training, facilities, and related costs required during construction or operation.

The June proposal requires quarterly water-quality testing of the nearest water body, reporting results within 30 days, and a 50 percent operating reduction if testing shows increased minerals or pollutants until clean results are provided.

Violations of the data-center provisions may result in civil penalties of up to $10,000, plus court costs and reasonable Township attorneys' fees.

Data centers are expressly added as a permitted-use category under Section 138-74, subject to the conditional-use standards in Section 138-94DD.

Customary accessory uses and buildings incidental to permitted uses are expressly authorized, allowing supporting facilities associated with a data center.

Electric power generation facilities are expressly added as a permitted-use category under Section 138-74, subject to Section 138-94U.

Electric power generation facilities may be approved as a conditional use in an Industrial District, with a maximum total rated capacity of 250 MW.

On-site electric generation for data centers is allowed beyond life-safety needs, provided it complies with the electric-generation standards in Section 138-94U; combustion-engine generation must meet Tier-4F emissions standards.

The electric-connection provision directs applicants to provide an interconnection agreement showing that service capacity is available, supporting connection of the data center to the electric system.

The conditional-use rules establish a defined approval framework for data centers, including specified requirements for lot size, traffic, water, electricity, noise, environmental review, screening, financial surety, and other applicable regulations.

A data center may use a closed-loop cooling system, which is defined as continuously recirculating cooling fluid in a sealed system with only minimal makeup water; the regulation requires data centers to use only closed-loop cooling systems.

The approval-expiration rule gives an approved data center twelve months to submit required land-development, grading, zoning, stormwater, or building-permit applications, with possible extension by the Board of Supervisors for good cause.

If permits are timely sought, the conditional-use approval allows six months after issuance of the first grading or building permit for substantial authorized work to begin, subject to possible extension by the Board of Supervisors for good cause.

The operator or end-user provision allows approval based on a binding worst-case operational profile when a specific operator or end-user has not yet been secured, rather than requiring an identified operator before permit review can proceed.

The regulation allows battery energy storage systems and other energy-storage equipment at data centers if they comply with NFPA Standard 855 or similar standards and include battery-specific fire suppression systems.