Everything we know about the proposed Springdale data center

Since developers revealed the initial details of a proposed data center at the former site of the Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale last month, the community has come armed with questions about the project.

Here’s everything we know so far:

The basics

Data centers are used to store digital information and house the enormous computing power necessary for the development of technology such as artificial intelligence.

Though still a relatively new land use, thousands of centers are already spread across the United States, especially concentrated in Northern Virginia. Other data center projects are currently underway in Upper Burrell and Homer City.

The one proposed in Springdale would be massive.

The site, which measures about 47 acres, would house a 565,000-square-foot hyper­scale data center and a 200,000-­square-foot mechanical cooling plant.

Taken together, the two structures would have a total area around the size of PPG Paints Arena.

A zoning request to the borough asks it to adjust its maximum height restrictions to allow the building to stand 60 feet tall, or 75 feet with rooftop equipment.

Brian Regli, consultant for land developer Allegheny DC Property Co., estimated the buildings would have a lifespan of 40 to 50 years.

Regli has said the center would be built with AI development in mind. Though his company doesn’t have any tenants lined up, he said they’d be looking to woo large tech companies.

The Porter Street site is still owned by Charah, the company responsible for demolishing the former power plant. But the company has a purchase agreement to sell it to Allegheny DC by the end of the year for an undisclosed price.

Allegheny DC is a holding company owned by Davidson Kempner, a large New York-based hedge fund, which is bankrolling the project. The firm previously invested billions of dollars in a Portuguese data center complex that went online earlier this year south of Lisbon.

Engineers and architects from Jacobs Solutions designed the preliminary sketches of the Springdale center, and attorneys from Pittsburgh-based Babst Calland represent the developers.

Regli said his company also is working with Vipa Digital, a London-based data center consulting firm that has developed complexes around the globe.

Energy use

Though it’s perhaps the most concerning topic for residents, the site’s potential effects on the energy grid and prices are still hazy.

Data centers require immense amounts of energy at all times to power their computers, which can strain local electrical infrastructure and raise costs for consumers.

Regli has said the site would seek to draw a maximum of 180 megawatts of energy at any one time.

An average American home draws an average of 1,200 watts of power, meaning the energy used by the proposed data center could power about 150,000 homes.

The site sits near the border of utility areas covered by Duquesne Light and FirstEnergy, parent company to West Penn Power. Each company maintains a substation near the former power plant.

Allegheny DC has paid for power studies from both firms to determine how it will meet its demand, Regli said.

More than likely, the project will require new infrastructure to power it, but Regli said his company will fully cover the cost of any additions.

In case of an outage or emergency, the center would also maintain upward of 100 backup generators that could make the site temporarily self-sustaining. Regli said the generators would be diesel-powered, but Allegheny DC is considering natural gas as an alternative power source.

The potential for price hikes for consumers’ power bills remains a concern for many residents, but it’s unclear what effect the center would have on pricing.

Water

In addition to its vast electricity needs, the center would require large amounts of water to hydraulically cool its computers.

The source of that water: Springdale’s municipal supply.

Developers have said that cooling would be done using a closed-loop system, which would continually recycle water.

That means the system would require a large amount of water to initially “charge” the coolers, but it would only take on further water in small increments to compensate for evaporation.

Regli said the “charging period” can be spread over the course of days or weeks.

Though exact figures remain unclear, Regli said the company would become one of Springdale water’s best customers.

Noise

The constant noise that will likely emit from the center has been a source of concern for residents in Springdale and just across the municipal border in Cheswick.

On average, Regli said, the developer’s goal is to keep the decibel level in the 40s, meaning it would emit something close to a quiet refrigerator hum.

In a projection of the maximum decibel levels expected from site equipment, Pittsburgh-based acoustician Jeff Babich said the noise along the property line at Pittsburgh Street would be about 57 decibels.

The noise, mostly produced by cooling fans, would be a “whooshing” sound similar to white noise.

When backup generators are used or tested, however, the noise level likely would be much louder — more like the sound of a loud lawn mower, Regli said.

In a condition for the project’s approval which the company has agreed to, noise levels could not exceed 85 decibels at the property line — about the level of city traffic — unless a power outage occurs.

The condition also would require the developer to implement mitigation strategies to decrease noise levels where necessary.

Jobs

Regli has continually said 80 to 100 jobs would be created at the site.

Those jobs would include security guards and custodial staff as well as more technical positions servicing the data center’s servers. At any one time, he said, 40 to 60 people would be on site.

Many of the jobs would require some mechanical know-how, but that doesn’t mean applicants would need to have advanced degrees, he said.

Taxes

Without a purchase price for the site or a county assessment, it’s impossible to say how much tax revenue the project would bring to the community.

When Allegheny DC acquires the property from Charah, both companies will be required to pay a real estate transfer tax equivalent to 1% of the sale.

Half of that revenue will go to the state, and the other half would be split between Springdale and Allegheny Valley School District.

After the property is transferred, Allegheny County assessors would determine the site’s value, which would be used to calculate its property taxes.

Springdale and the school district also would collect taxes from the employees at the site.

Regli previously cited the figure of $1 billion in investment at the site.

Lighting

In response to a community suggestion, developers have agreed to abide by the standards of the City of Pittsburgh’s “Dark Sky Ordinance.”

That means all the LED lights at the site would be downward facing or otherwise shielded or dimmed unless required for security reasons.

In another condition for approval negotiated between the borough and the company, any lighting used to illuminate parking areas or driveways would be directed away from residential properties.

Security

The site would be manned at all times by security. Regli said the guards are typically unarmed.

A security vestibule would sit near the entrance road to the site, which would be near the intersection of Duquesne Avenue and Oak Street in Cheswick.

The entire perimeter of the 47-acre area would be fenced in with an anti-climb barrier. Allegheny DC has requested a zoning variance to allow the fence to be 8 feet high.

Regli said the company would provide information and training to local first responders in case of an on-site emergency.

Traffic

Vehicles would enter the site via an access road at the intersection of Duquesne Avenue and Oak Street.

Engineer Mark Laborte said projected traffic at the site showed about 65 vehicles entering in the morning and 58 in the evening.

Regli said residents could expect increased traffic during construction, but truck deliveries would be relatively infrequent after completion, according to developers.

The company also has requested a zoning variance to vastly decrease the number of required loading docks to just three.

Environmental concerns

Many environmental concerns hinge on the method by which the center would be powered, which remains unclear.

The backup generators, which will use diesel fuel or natural gas, would produce at least some emissions from burning hydrocarbons.

The data center in Upper Burrell plans to produce much of its own electricity through on-site natural gas wells, but that’s likely impossible at the Springdale site, which has a much smaller footprint.

Green space?

St. Mark’s Cemetery and the Harwick Miners Memorial, the final resting place for dozens and a monument to the 179 miners who died in the 1904 Harwick mine disaster, sit in the middle of the former industrial site.

Regli said the company would improve the burial ground, making it a sort of “grotto” for visiting residents. A path leading to the memorial would branch off the entrance road.

The consultant also said he hopes to build a hiking trail along Tawney Run connecting the nearby Rachel Carson Trail to Cheswick’s Rachel Carson Riverfront Park.

A riverside park at the site, however, is unlikely, Regli said.

The project’s path forward

Seeking more time to review the project, the Springdale Planning Commission at its most recent meeting held off on a vote to recommend borough council approve or reject the center.

It will reconvene at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, to announce its decision.

After that, borough council will hold a public hearing Oct. 16, where it will vote to conditionally approve or reject the project.

If approved, the project would move into the land development phase, where more specific site information would emerge.