Just one week after seeking approval for a power plant in Archbald, entities linked to a local developer have filed applications to build at least three additional power generation facilities along Bell Mountain in Dickson City. The applications were submitted by three limited liability companies affiliated with Kriger Construction Inc. on March 19. These proposals involve a mile-long stretch of the mountain situated above Business Route 6 and are tied to a broader push for data center development in the region.
One of the newly proposed power plants is planned for a site directly behind the Circle Drive-In. According to the zoning application, the landmark drive-in theater has agreed to sell a portion of its land to accommodate the facility. These facilities would support the high energy demands of proposed data centers, similar to the 400-megawatt plant and 620,000-square-foot data center currently being proposed for Eynon Jermyn Road in Archbald.
The Dickson City Zoning Hearing Board is scheduled to review these three applications during a public meeting on May 13 at 7 p.m. inside the Borough Building on Enterprise Street. This wave of applications comes amid growing regional debate over the environmental and community impacts of large-scale energy production and data processing hubs in the Mid Valley area.
