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Data center project · Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Project Hazelnut (NorthPoint Development)

Denied · NorthPoint's 15-building campus on about 1,280 acres in Hazle Township was a state Fast Track project but was denied by the township and remains in court.

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Status
Denied · as of Nov. 2025
Location
Hazle Township, near Humboldt Industrial Park off Route 924 and I-81 · Luzerne County
Status note
Hazle Township denied land development approval in November 2025; a county judge sent NorthPoint's appeal back toward the zoning hearing board in late May 2026. DEP still lists permits under review.
Power
Not reported
No power figure published in the sources reviewed.
Land
1,280 acres
Developer and team
NorthPoint Development (through NP Hazleton Logistics)
Water
Air-cooled design; developer proposed using treated wastewater from the West Hazleton plant
Incentives
Hazle Township and the Hazleton Area School District approved LERTA property tax breaks; NorthPoint asked Luzerne County for one in 2025 (reported). NorthPoint later offered a $30 million community fund (May 2026).
Evidence
Primary public records
Size class
50 MW or more (tracker scope)
Map position approximate, from the reported address or area. Updated Oct. 17, 2026.

Updates, newest first

  1. Oct. 20, 2026 The state Department of Environmental Protection's data center permit tracker lists 17 environmental permit or authorization entries for the project: 13 issued, 2 pending, 2 not yet submitted. (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Oct. 20, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Oct. 20, 2026)
  2. June 8, 2026 Hazle Township declared its zoning ordinance invalid on data centers, starting a 180-day pause on new data center applications while it writes rules. (Times Leader, June 8, 2026)
  3. May 19, 2026 NorthPoint announced a $30 million community fund to offset possible local utility rate increases, while appealing the denial in county court. (Dallas Post (Times Leader), May 19, 2026)
  4. May 2026 A Luzerne County judge denied NorthPoint's appeal, agreeing with the township that the case belongs before the zoning hearing board. (Times Leader, June 8, 2026; Food & Water Watch, June 9, 2026; Inside Climate News, July 2, 2026)
  5. Nov. 2025 Hazle Township supervisors denied NorthPoint's land development application. (Times Leader, June 8, 2026; Dallas Post (Times Leader), May 19, 2026)
  6. Feb. 18, 2025 A Luzerne County Council committee advanced NorthPoint's request for a 10-year county property tax break on the 15-building campus. (Dallas Post (Times Leader), Feb. 18, 2025)
  7. Dec. 3, 2024 Earliest environmental permit application listed for the project on DEP's data center permit tracker submitted. (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Oct. 20, 2026; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Oct. 20, 2026)

Conflicts and open questions

  • Later national coverage (Sept.-Oct. 2026) described a NorthPoint offer of $10,000 per household; not checked against a primary record here.

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