Newport, Pa., Hires Special Counsel for Data Center Project Amid Resident Outcry
Newport Township, Pennsylvania, has appointed Attorney Len Sanguedolce as special counsel to advise its commissioners and administration on matters related to a proposed 15-data center campus. This decision follows resident outrage after the township quietly changed its zoning ordinance in April to permit data centers 'by right' in large areas of the municipality. The proposed campus, to be powered by three natural gas-powered fuel cells, received zoning permits in August. Sanguedolce replaces Solicitor Chris Slusser, who will continue to serve as township solicitor for other matters, despite previously acknowledging his law firm represents data centers. No specific plans for the data center campus have been submitted yet, and Sanguedolce emphasized that this is 'phase one' of the process. The developer, Jupiter, Florida-based Fit Energy, proposes to repurpose 1,386 acres of former mine and quarry land for the $35 billion project.
