NorthPoint Development assembled roughly 1,283 acres around the planned PPL Tomhicken substation in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, and proposed fifteen data centre buildings, four ancillary buildings and a substation and switchyard on it, leaving about 1,100 acres as open space. Hazle Township's supervisors denied the land development application 3-0 on 14 November 2025, a Luzerne County judge upheld that denial in May 2026, and the township adopted a six-month moratorium on data centre development on 8 June 2026. The build schedule the developer published - five buildings by the fourth quarter of 2026, three more in early 2028 and the last seven in mid-2029 - rests on approvals that have not been granted. NorthPoint has offered a $165 million community benefit package, and cooling is designed to draw no local drinking water. The developer has published no capacity figure.
Facility Specifications
Power & cooling
Cooling
Designed to use no local drinking water for cooling
Refused. The supervisors denied the land development application 3-0 on 14 November 2025 and a Luzerne County judge denied NorthPoint's appeal in May 2026, after which the township adopted a six-month moratorium.
How much land does Project Hazelnut cover?
About 1,283 acres in Hazle Township, of which roughly 1,100 would stay undisturbed. The developer committed to conserving two acres for every acre cleared.
Which utility would serve the Hazleton-area site?
PPL. The land wraps around the planned Tomhicken substation on a proposed PPL line, and the campus was designed as grid-served with generators for standby only.
What has NorthPoint offered Hazle Township residents?
A $165 million package: $45 million in direct grants at $10,000 per eligible household, $15 million of community support and $105 million paid as $7 million a year for fifteen years toward a township police department and reduced trash fees. It becomes payable on the first day a building operates.