A new data center could bring hundreds of jobs to Clearfield County, but it’s still in the beginning stages of development.
We have more on why the developer is hoping a state agency will turn a quiet piece of land near LeContes Mills into a special “opportunity zone.”
Girard Township supervisors just got a visit last week from two people who want to put in a data center here on this land on Ridge Road.
Whether you’re getting gas with a credit card, or buying something online, you’re producing data. But where does it go?
Data centers like one in Boydton, Va., pictured in an aerial photo given to the township, are now storing it in “the cloud.”
“It’s bank after bank of computers, where they store massive amounts of data,” says property owner and former state Dept. of Community and Economic Development secretary C. Alan Walker.
Walker calls this a $1 billion project, if it expands to all ten sections, which would take years. The property is in his family and was a surface mine in the ’70s.
“These facilities are built in increments, and each increment would be 100 jobs, and we’re hoping there are at least 10 increments,” says Walker.
Guido says a data company like Amazon or multiple companies could take over once it’s built.
But first, she needs state DCED approval for a Keystone Opportunity Zone. A total of 12 are now available.
Under the KOZ, a total of 10 years of local property taxes would be forgiven, which Walker says amounts to roughly $2,000 a year for that piece of the property.
More importantly, taxes would also vanish for the new computer equipment to go inside.
Organizers say 27 states like Ohio already have incentives for data centers, and Pennsylvania doesn’t, other than the KOZ.
“We have an excellent vocational school in this county. I think people can be trained for the jobs that are going to be available,” says Walker. “They’re not looking for computer programmers. They’re looking for technicians who know how to operate these facilities, a lot of cooling requirements, a lot of wiring.”
“There’s probably folks in this area that have computer backgrounds that right now can’t find a good job,” says neighbor Duane Archer.
Guido says the facility would be fueled by a natural gas power plant. County commissioners and the Clearfield school board will consider the KOZ request that was already approved by the township.
“One thing, it’s gonna bring jobs, and the location, you probably won’t even be able to see it,” says Girard Township supervisor Charlie Livergood.
“The economies of the mining regions have to reinvent themselves and this is one opportunity to do it,” says Walker.
The data center could bring several hundred high paying jobs, but why Clearfield County?
Officials noted the Marcellus Shale supply, which would be used to fuel the warehouse.
The facility would be built just outside Clearfield, which is located in what’s known as the Chicago-Philadelphia-New York fiber corridor that has access to major data networks.
And, with nearby Penn State and Clarion Universities, there will be a need for skilled computer and mechanical engineers.
The deadline to submit applications for the KOZ is Oct. 1. The outcome of that process could determine whether the data center is actually built.
