'Growing Security Concerns' Lead To Montco Data Center Event's Postponement

BLUE BELL, PA — A Montgomery County event aimed to provide the public with more information about data centers has been postponed in part due to "growing security concerns," Commissioner Tom DiBello said this week.

DiBello added that scheduling conflicts also played a role.

The event, previously scheduled for March 18 at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, has not yet been rescheduled.

The event aims to gather various "providers," including industry experts and corporations that utilize data centers, to provide their side of the debate on a variety of issues, including energy demand, grid capacity, water usage, and more.

The nature of the security concerns is not yet clear, and DiBello declined to elaborate.

"We take everything seriously," he said in a statement to Patch.

Separately, a spokesperson for the county said that the county was not aware of any security issues.

Related: Pennhurst Data Center Ordinance Put Aside As Controversy Intensifies

DiBello is hosting the event, and the county said that the county is not involved in it.

The event has been characterized by organizers as educational in nature, and DiBello said that it "will still be very important...whatever your position is for or against data centers."

However, critics have expressed concerns that the "industry experts" will not be sharing fairly competing viewpoints.

The group No Conshy Data Centers, which has successfully organized resistance to a proposed facility on the banks of the Schuylkill River, has repeatedly urged the county and DiBello to release the specific names of industry experts and corporations involved in the event. Officials have thus far declined to do so, though DiBello said Monday that said those details will be released when the event is rescheduled.

Related: Amid Uproar From Limerick Area Residents, State Approves Data Center Area Land Swap

In addition to concerns about energy costs and water usage, Montgomery County residents have also expressed concerns about air pollution from emissions and noise pollution. Despite overwhelming opposition from many communities, opposition that does not seem to restrict itself to any single political alignment, proposals continue to be strongly pushed by Gov. Josh Shapiro with backing from major corporations like Amazon.