FAQs
Q: How much water will it use?
A: Much less than many common facilities. A modern data center uses far less water than a golf course or many industrial users — thanks to closed-loop and air-based cooling.
Q: What about air pollution?
A: There are no smokestacks, no industrial chemical processes, and no routine emissions. All systems will meet or exceed state and federal air-quality standards.
Q: What will traffic be like?
A: Minimal. Data centers have very few daily visitors — mainly shift changes and scheduled deliveries. Far less traffic than warehouses or logistics facilities.
Q: Will we still see the buildings?
A: They are set back from the road and screened by trees, berms, and natural grading. Views from neighborhoods will be very limited.
Q: What about historic preservation?
A: This project respects the site’s past while giving the land a productive future. Redevelopment includes environmental clean-up and improved safety.
Q: Why here? Why Pennhurst?
A: The site is already zoned and approved for major redevelopment. If we don’t build this, another high-impact industrial project, like trucking or warehouses, will move forward under the same rules.
Q: Will this raise my taxes?
A: No. It does the opposite. The campus is will generate 37% of the township’s total budget and 41.4% of the school district’s current property tax revenue with very little added cost to public services.
Q: Will this bring a surge of new students to the district?
A: No. Data centers do not bring large new populations. We expect minimal change to school enrollment.
Q: Will it be noisy?
A: Normal operations are low-noise. Fans and pumps are screened by building design, trees, and berms. Any backup generator testing is limited and controlled. Noise at the property line will be no louder than existing background levels.
Myth vs. Fact
Myth: The data center will drain local water supplies.
Fact:
Pennhurst AI’s closed loop system and dry-cooling design will use 95% less water than data centers built 5 years ago.
The closed loop direct-to-chip system will recirculate the same water, minimizing water waste.
The facility will use less water than the nearby public golf course.
The facility will not use well water.
Primary water sources will be reusable, treated effluent from municipal systems as well as captured and stored rainwater.
The result is that Pennhurst AI will use up to 50 times less water than typical industry.
Myth: The project will generate significant traffic
Fact:
When completed, the data center would generate approximately 90 percent less traffic than traditional industrial uses that are permitted at the site.
There will be almost no heavy truck operations at the site once construction is completed.
The 250 full-time employees will work in three separate shifts.
Myth: Lighting of the site will disrupt the rural character of the township
Fact:
Pennhurst AI is committed to working to preserve the rural character of the community.
All exterior lighting will be Dark-Sky Compliant, such that after hours the campus will appear darker than nearby commercial zones.
Myth: The center will generate harmful emissions and reduce air quality
Fact:
Data centers emit no smoke, odors, or process waste.
Pennhurst AI would build hydrogen-ready fuel systems and hybrid battery storage that can transition to 100 percent hydrogen as supply expands, eliminating carbon exhaust and meeting future decarbonization goals.
Myth: The data centers will be loud and disruptive
Fact:
The closed loop, direct-to-chip cooling system will result in a significant reduction in needed HVAC cooling equipment.
As a result, noise from HVAC fans is reduced compared to old data center designs.
The data center proposed for this site would be fully “sound-attenuated” to run quietly
The sound would be virtually undetectable to the closest residents, whose homes would be 2,500 feet (a half mile) away.
The proposed chilling equipment is quieter than most commercial air conditioners.
Myth: The data center will endanger the local power grid and drive up electric costs.
Fact:
Pennhurst AI does not dispute that data centers consume significant amounts of electrical power. However, this project is being designed to address community concerns.
Pennhurst AI would construct a dedicated 220 kV/120 kV substation in partnership with PECO and PJM, which will deliver significant additional power directly to the center, with virtually no impact on current power demands nor interconnect with East Vincent Township.
The project would not compete with local residents for electric power at peak capacity (which drives electricity rates).
The Pennhurst AI project will have its own dedicated power station, which would dramatically reduce power consumption at peak periods.
The facility’s backup systems would be built to run on batteries and would be prepped for hydrogen as well, which would allow Pennhurst AI to have “islanding capability” that would allow it to operate “off the grid” during times of peak consumption.
The practical effect of this capability would be to stabilize or even strengthen the power grid, not strain it.
Studies show other centers have reduced consumers’ electricity bills because the center pays an increased share of distribution fees, lowering distribution fees paid by residential consumers.
The project also could be designed in a way to capture the heat arising from power consumption, such that it could be used to heat a variety of buildings in East Vincent at no cost to local residents.
Myth: The project will lower property values
Fact:
Studies nationwide show stable or rising home values near modern data centers.
Pennhurst AI will generate significant tax revenues to East Vincent Township ($2 million) and Owen J. Roberts School District ($37 million).
These funds can be used to reduce the existing tax burden or reinvested into community improvements, such as better schools, parks, and public services, further enhancing the area’s livability and desirability for potential homeowners, thereby increasing property values.
