Terawatt data center proposal at former Appvion paper mill
Also called: Terawatt Roaring Spring Data Center
A company called Terawatt wants to build a data center at the old Appvion paper mill near Roaring Spring. Taylor Township is writing rules for data centers first. Neighbors worry about noise near a school, YMCA and ball fields.
Where things stand: Taylor Township is drafting data center rules; residents questioned supervisors in September 2026. No approval yet.
🕒 Latest update (Oct 5, 2026): Next township meeting was set for 6 p.m.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFormer Appvion paper mill and nearby woods, near Roaring Spring, Taylor, Blair County
- 🏢 CompanyTerawatt
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromCompany would get its own power; residents worry about Penelec grid capacity
- 🤐 Secret deal (NDA)No
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How big would the data center be and how much power would it use? 🙋 I'll find out
- Would it build its own gas power plant? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where would its water come from, and who gets water first in a drought? 🙋 I'll find out
- What setbacks and noise limits will the township ordinance include? 🙋 I'll find out
- What happened at the October 5, 2026 township meeting? 🙋 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
- Sept 2026Residents quizzed Taylor Township supervisors about the plan, raising noise, health, water and power concerns. Solicitor is drafting rules for Blair County Planning Commission review.
- Sept 24, 2026Question-and-answer session planned at the Blair County Convention Center.
- Oct 5, 2026Next township meeting was set for 6 p.m.
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
Taylor Township supervisors will consider a change to the township's land development rules for data centers on Oct. 8, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Roaring Spring Fire Company. It follows a proposal for a data center at the old Appvion paper mill site.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Taylor Twp. supervisors quizzed on data center Appvion site proposal · Altoona Mirror · Sept 8, 2026
- Terawatt Roaring Spring Data Center · More Than Just Parks Data Center Tracker
- Data Center Town Hall Draws Nearly 250 · Morrisons Cove Herald · Oct 1, 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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