Pennsylvania town calls data centre developer's lawsuit an 'approval by tantrum' bid

A Pennsylvania township has refused to reject a proposed AI data centre project outright. Instead, Pennsylvania's Plymouth Township has attached a list of conditions for the project's continuation, prompting developer Brian O'Neill to sue the township. The project developer has argued that the requirements have become too stringent for development to proceed. In response to O’Neill’s challenge, Plymouth Township has justified itself and asserted that it was "a blatant attempt by the Applicant to demand approval by tantrum," since "the Township is not interested in entertaining such theatrics."​According to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Plymouth Township officials said the conditions are intended to address residents' concerns over issues including noise, water use, power generation and pollution. The dispute centres on O'Neill's proposed 2 million-square-foot AI data centre at the site of the former Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill near Philadelphia.