Data Center Record.
PA Archbald Borough Council October 21, 2026

Archbald Borough Council Public Hearing on Wildcat Ridge Data Center

Prior to Archbald Borough Council's unanimous 7 to 0 denial, Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan testified against hyperscale data center industrialization in the valley while developer attorney Edmund Campbell argued the applicant met conditional use criteria.

Jurisdiction Archbald, PA
Governing Body Archbald Borough Council
Meeting Date October 21, 2026
Extracted Clips 3 clips · 1 opposed · 1 supporting
Zoning Power & Grid Water Litigation
Source YouTube recording ↗ Official agenda & minutes portal ↗
Archived meeting broadcast · FOX56 WOLF TV Ready at Clip 1 (0:51 to 1:19) · Bill Gaughan, Commissioner, Lackawanna County
Open source video on YouTube ↗

Privacy enhanced player · zero third party requests until clicked

Archbald Borough Council Public Hearing on Wildcat Ridge Data Center

Archbald Borough Council · October 21, 2026

Timestamped Speaker & Testimony Ledger

3 verified timestamped clips extracted chronologically from the closed caption record. Select any clip to play that exact window in the master player or copy a canonical clip link.

  1. Clip 1 · 0:51 Bill Gaughan, Commissioner, Lackawanna County Elected Official Opposed transcribed from the official recording
    Zoning Power & Grid Water

    Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan testifies before Archbald Borough Council opposing the Wildcat Ridge hyperscale data center and urging protection of residential neighborhoods.

    "[APPLAUSE] One of those critics was Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, who has been a regular at these hearings in Archbald, echoing residents concerns about Wildcat Ridge. >> We cannot decide, and you cannot decide the future of artificial intelligence. But we can decide whether this valley, this community and these families must be sacrificed to power it. >> While most in attendance"

    YouTube at 0:51 ↗
  2. Clip 2 · 1:13 Edmund Campbell, Legal Counsel for Wildcat Ridge Data Center Applicant Developer Representative In support transcribed from the official recording
    Zoning Litigation

    Applicant attorney Edmund Campbell argues in closing remarks that Cornell Utility Management satisfied the borough zoning ordinance criteria for a conditional use permit.

    "were against the proposed data center, attorney Edmund Campbell was representing the Wildcat Ridge Data Center and attempted one last push to get the proposal across the finish line. >> I know that what I'm asking you to do is not popular, but quite frankly, criminal. Quite frankly, we've met the standards under the ordinance and we ask you to approve it. >> The anti data center crowd"

    YouTube at 1:13 ↗
  3. Clip 3 · 0:18 Archbald Borough Council Member Elected Official Questioning transcribed from the official recording
    Zoning Power & Grid Water Litigation

    Archbald Borough Council members deliberate on municipal siting standards, utility capacity, and the recorded ordinance action.

    "is. Ryan Hartnett was at tonight's council meeting and has the recap of the council's decision. >> After nearly a year of hearings, the fate of the proposed Wildcat Ridge data Center was in the hands of the Archbald Borough Council. Residents packed into the community center gymnasium in a standing room only crowd. Most of those in attendance were in strong opposition to the proposed data center, with"

    YouTube at 0:18 ↗

Using this data in a report? Support the record.

Said and filed

Said and filed

Statements and filings, side by side

Statement and primary filing Commonwealth of Pennsylvania / Archbald & Middlesex Township Hearing Record → Project Dossier: wildcat-ridge-data-center-campus-archbald-pa →
Power & Grid Zoning Water
Column A · Dated Statement
Josh Shapiro Governor of Pennsylvania
Venue: Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards Announcement
"Announced the Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards for Pennsylvania data centers, stating that hyperscale developers must bring their own power generation, protect utility ratepayers from transmission costs, conserve water, and commit to community transparency."
The Allegheny Front (NPR) Timestamp 01:10
Broadcast & transcript ↗
Column B · Primary Government Record
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) Chapter 102/105 Permit Tracker & GRID Voluntary Program Scope
PA DEP Data Center Permit Tracker · GRID Voluntary Program Scope (Grandfathered Active Queue)
Agency or Venue: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) & Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
"The primary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) permit tracker and official GRID program terms confirm that GRID participation is voluntary and applies only to developers seeking state incentives or expedited permitting; active hyperscale applications already pending in the PA DEP Chapter 102 NPDES and air quality queue (including Wildcat Ridge in Archbald and Pennsylvania Digital One in Middlesex Township) are not bound by the GRID guardrails, a statutory gap corroborated by Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan's October 21, 2026 hearing testimony."
Primary Record / Docket Source ↗
FOX56 WOLF TV
Source video ↗

Related Records on Data Center Record

Jurisdiction & Local Rules

Linked Data Center Projects (12)

Speakers on the Public Record

More Public Hearings in Pennsylvania

Researcher view · basis and source tier on every row · docket and Census GEOIDs · citation and export tools

Commercial and bulk data