2 data center projects in Ransom Township
Who decides here: the Township Supervisors (in some larger townships, the Board of Commissioners) of Ransom Township votes on zoning. The Lackawanna County Planning Commission usually reviews big projects too.
In Ransom Township
Scranton Materials data center campus (Ransom Township)
Ransom Township, Lackawanna County
251 acres
🕒 Sept 3, 2026: News reports said the developer's second lawsuit (asking a judge to rule on the zoning) …
Stopped or cancelledMudiita data center campus idea (Ransom Township)
Ransom Township, Lackawanna County
530 acres
🕒 July 27, 2026: Owner said he does not plan a data center there right now; websites advertising an all-e…
Nearby (within 15 miles)
Popca LLC data center campus (Newton Township)
Newton Township, Lackawanna County
76 acres
🕒 Sept 18, 2026: The Times-Tribune listed the Newton project (2 buildings, 76 acres) as denied by the tow…
Proposedabout 8 miles awayDickson City Development data center (Bell Mountain)
Dickson City, Lackawanna County
🕒 Sept 18, 2026: The Times-Tribune listed the Bell Mountain project (4 buildings) as denied by the zoning…
Status unclearabout 10 miles awayPlains Township data center site (KSR)
Plains Township, Luzerne County
🕒 Sept 22, 2026: Packed hearing on a 592-acre Energy and Technology Overlay District. Land purchases in t…
Reported in the news, not confirmed yet
Stopped or cancelledabout 10 miles awayBlakely data center campus
Blakely, Lackawanna County
209 acres
🕒 Sept 12, 2025: Developers withdrew the zoning change request after the borough declined another public …
Status unclearabout 11 miles awayTriboro data center site (Olyphant)
Olyphant, Lackawanna County
🕒 April 14, 2026: Borough Council declared its zoning invalid for leaving out data centers, giving itself …
Proposedabout 12 miles awayWildcat Ridge data center campus (Archbald)
Archbald, Lackawanna County
574 acres
🕒 Sept 10, 2026: Council refused to step aside (recusal) and closed the hearing record after 9 hearings.
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
Ransom Township supervisors passed a 40-page data center ordinance. Data centers are allowed only as a conditional use in two manufacturing zones, near the Taylor border and along the Susquehanna River, with limits on height, noise and more.
📜 Data center rules
Ransom Township scheduled a public hearing on a Data Center Land Use Ordinance. It would allow data centers only as a conditional use in two manufacturing zones, with rules on noise, water, generators, and removal when a data center closes.
📌 Other · Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County commissioners voted unanimously to hire EmPower Analytics Group for $165,000. Over 90 days the firm will study the pollution and health effects of more than a dozen proposed data center campuses and power plants in the county.
⚖️ Court case
Scranton Materials appealed Ransom Township's rejection to county court. The company argues the township's zoning illegally leaves no place for data centers.
✋ Turned down
Ransom Township supervisors voted 2-1 to reject a request to change zoning for a six-building data center at a 251-acre quarry on Newton Road. They said the developer, Scranton Materials, did not give enough testimony or evidence.
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Ransom Township. - Go to township meetings.
Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing. - Ask questions in writing.
Use our checklist.
🔔 Get told first
⚡ Your electric company
PPL Electric Utilities Corp. (company).
Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in Pennsylvania.
🙋 Open tasks here
- What will the court decide?
- How much power and water would it use?
- Could a data center plan come back for this land?