Pennsylvania town rejects $10,000 offers over NorthPoint's data center plan

The offer

NorthPoint, the company behind Project Hazelnut, offered residents of Hazle Township, a town of about 10,000 people in northeastern Pennsylvania, $10,000 per household. The company also offered $165 million (148 million euros) for projects and scholarships in the town. Authorities had already rejected the plan, which would place fifteen data processing plants between residential areas.

Why residents oppose the project

Residents cite the noise from processors, heavy water use in an area that already struggles with supply, pressure on the electricity grid, environmental damage and falling property values. The town mobilized last year, in 2025, after residents learned that a data center planned for Amazon would be built in a natural area of the township.

Nate Eachus, a local resident, said the offer had not gone down well:

“Here, that attempt at a bribe has not gone down well with anyone.”

A wider revolt

The article says similar revolts are underway in Arizona, Virginia, Ohio and Michigan. Opposition to these facilities cuts across party lines, which matters ahead of the midterm elections. The article warns the issue could turn against President Donald Trump, a strong backer of AI and data centers.

Local moratoriums

A roundup of recent coverage reports that Pittsburg approved a 45-day data center moratorium but did not stop current plans to build one. A separate report covers how a lifelong Republican came to lead the data center fight in Ohio. In Oregon, counties and cities warn that a data center moratorium could cost them millions.