Proposed
Popca LLC data center campus (Newton Township)
A local landowner wants two data center buildings on about 90 acres in Newton Township, a $280 million project. The zoning officer said data centers are not allowed there, and the owner appealed.
Where things stand: The township denied it, and the landowner has appealed. Not final.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 18, 2026): The Times-Tribune listed the Newton project (2 buildings, 76 acres) as denied by the township, with an appeal filed by the developer.
What we know
- 📍 WhereNewton Road (rural resource zoning district), Newton Township, Lackawanna County
- 🏢 CompanyPopca LLC (Archbald)
- 🌳 Size76 acres
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromOn-site substation and two generator yards planned
- 💧 WaterOn-site well
- 💵 Cost$280 million
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much power and water would it use? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where is the appeal now (zoning board or county court), and when is the next hearing? 🙋 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
- Feb 19, 2026Zoning officer denied the application because data centers are not allowed in that district.
- March 23, 2026Landowner appealed.
- April 27, 2026Zoning Hearing Board hearing scheduled.
- May 6, 2026The Zoning Hearing Board hearing was continued.
- Sept 18, 2026The Times-Tribune listed the Newton project (2 buildings, 76 acres) as denied by the township, with an appeal filed by the developer.
🛰️ 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
- Proposed Newton data center campus is 10th planned for Lackawanna County · WVIA · April 10, 2026
- 22 regional data center projects and where they stand · The Times-Tribune · Sept 18, 2026
- Hearing on proposed Newton Twp. data center continued · The Times-Tribune · May 6, 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
- Two-building data center campus proposed in northeast Pennsylvania · DatacenterDynamics · April 15, 2026
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