Sunnyside Road data center (Jessup)
Also called: Sunnyside Road LLC, Catalyst Commercial Development
A single large data center (about 487,000 square feet) is planned next to the Lackawanna Energy Center gas power plant in Jessup. Borough Council gave it conditional preliminary approval in a split vote. It still needs state permits.
Where things stand: On June 3, 2026, Borough Council voted 3-2 to give conditional preliminary plan approval, subject to DEP permits and updated utility letters.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 25, 2026): News reports said the Sunnyside Road project is 'tied up in litigation' after Council's conditional approval.
Jessup Borough Council. We don't know yet if Sunnyside Road data center (Jessup) is on the agenda. Call the office to check before you go.
What we know
- 📍 WhereNear Sunnyside Road and Alberigi Drive, next to the Lackawanna Energy Center gas power plant, Jessup, Lackawanna County
- 🏢 CompanySunnyside Road LLC
- 🏛️ Owned byCatalyst Commercial Development LLC
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromNext to the Lackawanna Energy Center, a natural gas power plant
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much power and water will it use? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will it buy power directly from the gas plant? 🙋 I'll find out
- Who is the end user? 🙋 I'll find out
- Who is challenging the Sunnyside Road approval in court, and what is the case about? 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 6, 2026: We checked the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's public list of water applications: there is no water application from this project. As of mid-2026, SRBC said Amazon's Salem Township campus was the only data center it had approved. A data center needs SRBC approval before it runs if it uses up (mostly by evaporation) more than 20,000 gallons a day on a 30-day average, or takes water from its own wells or streams above SRBC limits.
What happened so far
- Aug 13, 2025Catalyst applied for a 487,000-square-foot data center.
- 2026Council voted 3-2 for conditional preliminary approval, requiring DEP approvals and an updated sewer plan.
- June 3, 2026Borough Council voted 3-2 for conditional preliminary approval. Conditions: DEP stormwater and sewer approvals, new letters from water, gas and power companies, and a new traffic study.
- Sept 25, 2026News reports said the Sunnyside Road project is 'tied up in litigation' after Council's conditional approval.
Local votes and rules
✋ Turned down
Jessup's Zoning Hearing Board unanimously turned down zoning relief for six data centers planned on Breaker Street. The board said the needed power substation would sit in a residential zone, which is not allowed. The developer can appeal in county court.
📜 Data center rules
Jessup Borough Council voted unanimously to tighten its data center rules. Data centers can only go on industrial land south of the Casey Highway and need a public hearing first. The rules also limit height and require noise studies and water-saving cooling.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Jessup denies Breaker Street data centers · The Times-Tribune (via Yahoo News) · Jan 20, 2026
- Council conditionally approves Sunnyside Road LLC preliminary plan, requires DEP approvals for data center · CitizenPortal.ai (meeting summary) · 2026
- Council · Borough of Jessup · Oct 6, 2026
- Developer applies for 200,000-square-foot data center in Jessup · The Times-Tribune · Sept 25, 2026
- PA DEP Data Center Permit Tracker · Pennsylvania DEP · Oct 6, 2026
- Jessup Borough Council meeting minutes, June 3, 2026 · Jessup Borough · June 3, 2026
- Water Use by Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin - FAQ · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · 2026
- Water Application and Approval Viewer (WAAV) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · Oct 6, 2026
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