Project Hazelnut: 1,250-Acre Data Center Campus in Luzerne County

• Site & Facility Footprint: 1,250 acres · 15 planned buildings in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Site and what was there before

• The land is a former strip mine, partly timbered, north of the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Township: about 1,300 acres in total, of which NorthPoint says 616 acres would be built on and 684 acres left undeveloped. Entrances are planned at North Park Drive and Grassy Path Road.^[4]

What is proposed

• NorthPoint Development of Kansas City proposes a 15-building data center campus, with four ancillary buildings, a switchyard and a substation. Coverage cites 1,280 acres near Interstate 81; the pin's 1,250-acre title differs slightly.^[1]
• Cooling would use treated wastewater from the Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority rather than local drinking water.^[4]
• NorthPoint says it has secured the needed power with PPL Electric Utilities and will pay for any transmission upgrades; no megawatt figure was found in an opened source. Residents of four neighboring townships oppose a proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line that would help supply the site.^[2]

Approvals and opposition

• NorthPoint asked for a Luzerne County LERTA tax break in early 2025 and the plan had been before the planning commission since April 2025.^[6][7]
• Hazle Township supervisors tabled the vote on 10 November 2025 before a packed hall, then unanimously rejected the land development application on 14 November.^[5]
• NorthPoint appealed. A county judge rebuked the developer's appeal in late May 2026, and the company has since appealed to Commonwealth Court. On 8 June 2026 supervisors unanimously passed a six-month curative amendment pausing any new data center applications.^[2][3]
• DEP held a hearing in February 2026 on two pending permits (Chapter 105 water obstruction and Chapter 102 stormwater discharge); NorthPoint said it was still pursuing them while the land development appeal continued. Township officials said in November 2025 that the state had approved limited clearing but not full development.^[4][6]

Construction and timeline

• NorthPoint describes a six-year development period with more than 1,300 construction jobs and more than 900 permanent jobs. No start or completion date is published, and the project still lacked final approval in June 2026.^[1][2]

Cost

• No construction cost is published. NorthPoint's $165 million package ($45 million resident grants of $10,000 per household, a $15 million community fund and $105 million to the township over 15 years) is payable only if the project is approved and is not a project budget.^[1]