Pennsylvania
Conshohocken data center proposal garners pushback
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Some Conshocken-area residents are fighting back against a developer’s proposal to build a 2 million-square-foot data center one mile from the borough’s vibrant downtown area.
The facility would span 10 existing buildings at the recently closed Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill, which sits on 66 acres of land along the Schuylkill River.
Real estate mogul Brian O’Neill, who is steering the proposal, estimates the data center would generate $21 million a year in tax revenue. It’s not clear who would operate the facility, which O’Neill said would attract businesses to the area.
Earlier this month, Plymouth Township’s planning board unanimously refused to recommend the proposal to build the data center, which residents say could harm the environment and jack up energy bills. With the township’s zoning board scheduled to consider the proposal Nov. 17, some residents are gearing up with a petition that currently has more than 370 signatures.
“The Cleveland Cliff Steel Mill [has] been a huge part of our neighborhood and Conshohocken for many years, and it was sprung upon everyone very quickly that a developer was interested in a data center,” said Patti Smith, who started the petition and lives across the street from the site.
“We wanted to raise awareness, make sure that people were able to advocate for themselves because we don’t think that the local municipalities are ready to have these conversations and draft ordinances and regulations that can protect the residents.”
The demand for data centers
Data centers house the computer servers required to run internet services worldwide.
While they have been around since the mid-20th century, the acceleration of power-hungry artificial intelligence has boosted demand for larger sites and more resources.
Data center proponents say the facilities are essential for enabling connectivity and innovation across business and industry, and claim they create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue.
However, many residents and environmentalists say the potential rewards don’t outweigh the risks. Data centers use a significant amount of energy and as AI requires more power at a faster rate than typical internet activities, data centers often strain the power grid, leading to increased electricity rates for consumers.
A 2024 Department of Energy report on U.S. data center energy use estimated that data center load growth tripled over the past decade, and would double or triple again by 2028.
Data centers also require substantial water consumption to cool servers that are at risk of overheating, as well as for offsite power generation and component manufacturing. By 2028, hyperscale data centers across the U.S. are expected to consume between 60 and 124 billion liters of water.
O’Neill did not respond to a request to answer questions about the proposed Conshohocken data center, which would generate its own energy rather than relying completely on the grid.
However, during a Plymouth Township hearing on the proposed data center, he said his goal is to “rethink the Plymouth Industrial District,” and “put 21st century industry in an industrial building that exists today.”
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Crews are battling a massive blaze that has spread to multiple buildings in Columbia Borough on Saturday afternoon.
The fire was reported around 3:23 p.m. on South 4th Street, according to Lancaster County’s online incident list.
According to the incident list, the fire has been upgraded to a third alarm, meaning additional personnel has been dispatched to the area.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS 21 shows smoke and flames coming out of the roofs of multiple row homes.
Video of the fire on South Fourth Street in Columbia, Pennsylvania. (Credit: Juanita Hammond)
Dispatch was unable to confirm any additional information about the fire at this time. Injury and displacement information is currently unavailable.
This is a developing story. CBS 21 is working to learn more.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General approved a settlement agreement that will pay the contractor who worked on the security upgrades at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private residence.
At the request of Pennsylvania State Police, Shapiro’s home in Montgomery County received over $1 million in security upgrades. The official governor’s residence in Harrisburg also received $32 million in upgrades.
These upgrades were made after the Harrisburg residence was fire-bombed in April 2025 while Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro were in the residence.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | PA governor defends $1 million in security upgrades to private home after subpoenas
Attorney General Dave Sunday said his office approved the settlement agreement to “shield the Commonwealth from further litigation” that could’ve further increased costs for taxpayers.
“Our decision on this settlement agreement is not an assessment of the need for the security upgrades or the wisdom behind them, and it did not impede the upgrades being made — the work was performed some time ago,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “Rather, a settlement agreement focuses on the settlement of a past due contract between a contractor, who performed the work for the agency in good faith, and the Commonwealth.”
Sunday added that he believes “a legislative appropriation would have been the quickest and cleanest solution.” He also suggested legislators look to change the law to address similar issues for future elected officials.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican who is running against Shapiro in the 2026 gubernatorial race, has pledged to protect taxpayers from having to front the bill.
“We have not yet received the request to pay or the settlement agreement. After I receive those documents, I’ll carefully review each one and pay the requisition if it is lawful and correct,” Garrity said in a statement. “Safety and security matter to everyone, but good intentions can never excuse ignoring the law.”
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — Pennsylvania State Police said they issued over 6,000 traffic citations during its “Operation Hands Off,” which targeted distracted driving.
From June 8-10, troopers across the state issued 6,013 traffic citations, 4,090 warnings and made 98 DUI arrests, according to a release.
This included 694 traffic citations and 308 warnings relating to Paul Miller’s Law, which prohibits the use of handheld mobile devices while driving.
READ MORE | Paul Miller’s Law takes effect in Pennsylvania, prohibiting phone use while driving
The law is named after Paul Miller, a Pennsylvania man who was killed by a distracted driver. It was signed into law in 2024, followed by a one-year warning period, with full enforcement beginning June 5, 2026.
The 308 Paul Miller’s Law warnings issued from June 8-10 makes up about 20% of total warnings (1,616) issued by state police last year.
Eileen Miller, Paul Miller’s mother, told CBS 21 the numbers “bring mixed emotions.”
“I didn’t fight for more than over 12 years to punish people – I fought to save lives,” she said. “Every citation is an opportunity for someone to change their behavior before a family experiences the tragedy that mine did.”
No mother wants her child or loved one attached to a law. But if Paul’s legacy is making drivers put their phones down and change their behavior and preventing even one family from receiving the heartbreaking knock on the door that I received, then then his life is continuing to make a difference. That is what Paul Miller’s law is about.
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