Proposed
Industrial Drive data center (2184 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem)
A two-story, 131,000-square-foot data center using about 120 megawatts is proposed on Industrial Drive in Bethlehem. It would make some of its own power with natural gas.
Where things stand: Regional planners gave conditional support in Sept. 2026; city approval still needed.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 2026): Bethlehem planning commission review; regional planners offered conditional support.
🗓️ Next meeting of the people who decide: Oct 20, 2026 · 7:00 PM
Bethlehem City Council. We don't know yet if Industrial Drive data center (2184 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem) is on the agenda. Call the office to check before you go.
Bethlehem City Council. We don't know yet if Industrial Drive data center (2184 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem) is on the agenda. Call the office to check before you go.
May act on the new data center zoning rules heard Oct. 6.
📍 Town Hall, Bethlehem (City Council chambers, 10 East Church Street). Meetings are live-streamed on the city website. City Council held a public hearing on the data center ordinance on Oct. 6, 2026.
What we know
- 📍 Where2184 Industrial Drive, Lehigh Valley Industrial Park I, near Routes 378 and 22 (former Crowder building), Bethlehem, Northampton County
- 🌳 Size7 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs120 megawatts (about as much as 96,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromAbout 80% grid power (PPL) and 20% on-site natural gas generation; diesel backup
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Who is the developer and end user? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much air pollution from on-site gas generation? 🙋 I'll find out
- When will the city vote? 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 6, 2026: We checked the Delaware River Basin Commission's (DRBC) list of pending applications (August 2026): there is no application for this data center. DRBC said in November 2025 it had not received any data center applications. A data center needs its own DRBC approval only if it takes more than 100,000 gallons a day from its own wells or streams, or discharges more than 50,000 gallons a day (lower limits in some protected areas). Buying water from a water company does not need a separate DRBC approval.
What happened so far
- Sept 2026Bethlehem planning commission review; regional planners offered conditional support.
🛰️ See it from above
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
2018–20202021–2023
We only know the town, so this shows the town center, not the exact site. Photos: PEMA / PASDA, Pennsylvania aerial photos.
Where this comes from
- What the latest planning reviews say about data center proposals in Allentown, Bethlehem · lehighvalleylive.com (via Yahoo News) · Sept 23, 2026
- Bethlehem residents voice concerns over proposed Route 22 data center · The Brown and White · Sept 10, 2026
- City Council Meetings calendar · City of Bethlehem · Oct 6, 2026
- Data center debate moving to Bethlehem: Officials to review proposed regulations at public hearing · Lehigh Valley Public Media · Sept 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions: Data Centers · Delaware River Basin Commission · Nov 24, 2025
- DRBC Project Review: Pending Project Status (August 2026) · Delaware River Basin Commission · Aug 2026
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