Amazon (AWS) Salem Township campus next to Susquehanna nuclear plant
Also called: Cumulus Data Center, Talen Susquehanna data campus, Salem Township Innovation Campus
Amazon bought a data center campus next to the Susquehanna nuclear plant in 2024 and plans up to 15 or more data center buildings on about 1,600 rezoned acres. It gets its power from the nuclear plant. The $20 billion statewide investment is the largest private investment in Pennsylvania history.
Where things stand: First building runs today. Amazon is building more; up to 15-20 data centers are planned over about 10 years.
🕒 Latest update (Aug 5, 2026): SRBC staff inspected the campus and found no water-rule violations.
What we know
- 📍 WhereNext to the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station near Berwick; rezoned land along Mingle Inn Road, Salem Township, Luzerne County
- 🏢 CompanyAmazon Web Services
- 🏛️ Owned byAmazon
- 👤 Built forAmazon
- 🌳 Size1,600 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs960 megawatts (about as much as 768,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromPower from the next-door Susquehanna nuclear plant (Talen Energy), under a long-term contract
- 💧 WaterPennsylvania American Water (Berwick system) public water; other sources only as backup · 129,000 gallons a day
- ❄️ CoolingEvaporative cooling, mainly in the hottest summer months; little or no water for cooling the rest of the year (Amazon's statement to SRBC)
- 💵 Cost$20 billion
- 💸 Tax breaksTownship approved a LERTA tax break for Amazon: a 70% discount on new property taxes for 10 years.
- 👷 Jobs promised1,250
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- What happens to the data centers when the nuclear plant's licenses end (2042-2044)? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will new high-voltage power lines be built? 🙋 I'll find out
- Did state or local officials sign a secret deal (NDA) with Amazon? 🙋 I'll find out
- Has DEP issued Amazon's industrial wastewater permit, and will cooling water go to the Berwick sewer plant or the Susquehanna River? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- 2024Supervisors voted 3-0 to put about 1,600 acres into a Special Data Center Overlay District.
- March 2024Talen sold its 960-megawatt-capable data center campus to Amazon for $650 million.
- Sept 12, 2024The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) approved Amazon's first water request: up to 60,000 gallons a day lost to evaporation (30-day average) for the first three buildings.
- June 9, 2025Gov. Shapiro announced Amazon's $20 billion plan, including this campus and one in Falls Township, Bucks County.
- Dec 16, 2025SRBC staff said in a public presentation that the campus had not yet used any water for cooling, but water use will grow as it expands.
- Jan 26, 2026SRBC approved a small change to Amazon's water approval that added more water sources (for backup).
- Jan 29, 2026SRBC held a public hearing on Amazon's request to raise its water use to 277,000 gallons a day. Written comments closed February 9, 2026.
- March 12, 2026SRBC approved a lower amount than Amazon asked for: up to 129,000 gallons a day lost to evaporation (30-day average), instead of 277,000. The approval runs to 2039.
- Aug 5, 2026SRBC staff inspected the campus and found no water-rule violations.
Local votes and rules
🗺️ Zoning change
After a court voided its earlier votes, the Salem Township Planning Commission voted a third time to recommend a larger data center overlay zone. The zone would help a third data center project move forward. Township supervisors make the final decision.
🗺️ Zoning change
Salem Township supervisors scheduled a vote to expand the township's data center overlay zone for the Salem 3 campus, a planned 39-building project on more than 4,000 acres with its own power plant. Residents went to court over meeting notice and limits on public comment.
⚖️ Court case
A Luzerne County judge ruled that the Salem Township Planning Commission broke the state open-meetings law when some people were locked out of a meeting on a data center zoning overlay. Eight residents without a lawyer brought the case. The ruling voided the commission's earlier vote on an overlay for a third data center project, called Salem 3.
✅ Approved
The Salem Township Planning Commission recommended conditional approval of a revised master plan for a QTS data center campus. The new plan cuts the project from 18 buildings to 12 but adds 100 acres. It also involves closing parts of three local roads. Supervisors had approved an earlier master plan.
🤝 Agreement with the company
Salem Township supervisors approved a Blackstone QTS data center campus planned for about 1,700 acres bought from 96 landowners. The township received a $9 million community benefit agreement to pay for emergency medical services, roads and other infrastructure, and town services.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Amazon Web Services' $20B Pa. investment will include data centers in Luzerne, Bucks counties · WVIA · June 9, 2025
- AWS granted 1,600-acre rezoning request, plans 15-building campus at Pennsylvania nuclear site · DatacenterDynamics · 2024
- Developers tout impacts of 3 data center campuses; Zoning meeting set for Wednesday on 4-3 Glenbrook Group project · Times Leader · Aug 22, 2026
- WAAV project details: Amazon Data Services, PHL100 Data Center Campus (Approval 20260301) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · March 12, 2026
- Response to public comments, Pending No. 2025-159 (Amazon Data Services) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · March 5, 2026
- SRBC: Actions Taken at the March 12, 2026 Meeting · Federal Register · March 25, 2026
- SRBC: Minor Modification Approval (PHL100, Docket 20251217) · Federal Register · Jan 29, 2026
- SRBC: Actions Taken at the September 12, 2024 Meeting · Federal Register · Sept 26, 2024
- Data Center Activity in the Susquehanna Basin (presentation) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · Dec 16, 2025
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