Project Hazelnut

A coal-country plateau, a 180-day pause, and a community that would not leave the room

Developer

NorthPoint Development

Tenant

NorthPoint hasn't publicly named a tenant. Food & Water Watch calls the project an Amazon Web Services campus, and Futurism and Cybernews reported in October 2026, citing PennLive, that it's an AWS facility, but neither company has confirmed that in the sources we reviewed.

Current stage

The project is on hold at the township level, where supervisors denied the land development plan in November 2025, a Luzerne County judge ruled against NorthPoint in May 2026 and said the proposal belongs before the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception, and NorthPoint has appealed to Commonwealth Court. A 180-day township pause on data center applications adopted June 8, 2026 is in effect while new zoning rules are written, and NorthPoint is still pursuing state permits and courting residents with a $165 million benefits offer.

Decision body

Hazle Township Board of Supervisors (land development and the new zoning rules) and Zoning Hearing Board (any special exception), with NorthPoint's appeal before Commonwealth Court. DEP reviews the stormwater and stream permits, and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is reviewing PPL's power line projects for the area.

Top issues

Nearly 1,300 acres of coal-scarred land; 15 buildings and a substation; Superfund legacy in Luzerne County; water and power demand; a state program that fast-tracked the project before residents knew about it

Key opponents

Hazle Township residents organized as "Project Hazelnot"; Food & Water Watch; State Sen. Katie Muth; neighbors in Kline Township

Key supporters

NorthPoint Development, which is offering a $165 million community benefits package and says the campus would bring more than 1,300 construction jobs and about 950 permanent jobs. Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration promoted the project through the state's Fast Track permitting program until every data center was removed from that program in August 2026.

• 2025-11-01Project Hazelnut introduced as a flagship of the state Fast Track permitting program during a gubernatorial visit to Hazle Township, pitched as 900 jobs Inside Climate News / PA Capital-Star
• 2025-11-14Hazle Township supervisors deny Project Hazelnut's land development plan 3-0
• 2026-02-18DEP holds a public hearing at Hazleton Area High School on NorthPoint's stream crossing and construction stormwater permits, with comments accepted until March 3 (reported February 18, 2026). WVIA
• 2026-05Judge rules the proposal should be considered by the township zoning board through the special exception process, rebuking the developer’s appeal of the township’s denial FOX56
• 2026-05-19NorthPoint unveils community benefits package (later detailed at $165M incl. $45M resident grants) Times Leader
• 2026-06-08Supervisors vote unanimously for a municipal curative amendment pausing all new data center applications for 180 days while zoning is rewritten, before a packed room of residents in yellow "Project Hazelnot" shirts Food & Water Watch
• 2026-06-24NorthPoint announces a $165 million community benefits package, including $10,000 grants to eligible households, that would take effect only if the project is approved. Fox56
• 2026-06-30The PUC holds public input hearings at Penn State Hazleton on PPL's 1.1 miles of 230 kV taps to the new Tomhicken switchyard in Hazle Township. FOX56
• 2026-07-28The Shenandoah Sentinel reports PPL has named 30 properties in eminent domain filings for its Sugarloaf line upgrade, which includes a switchyard at the west end of the Hazelnut site. Shenandoah Sentinel
• 2026-08-18An executive order removes all data centers from the state's Fast Track permitting program, ending Project Hazelnut's place in it. Shenandoah Sentinel
• 2026-09-17Administrative law judges John Coogan and Erin Gannon hold evidentiary hearings on September 17 and 18 on PPL's 230 kV taps to the new Tomhicken switchyard. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
• 2026-10-08Main briefs are filed on October 8 and 9 in the PUC case on PPL's Tomhicken taps. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
• 2026-10-22NorthPoint holds a community open house on the project at Maple Manor Elementary School in Hazleton. NorthPoint Development
• 2026-10-23Reply briefs are filed in the PUC case on PPL's Tomhicken taps, the latest entry on the docket. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

• 2025-12-01
  Court appeal Luzerne Co Court of Common Pleas · (unassigned)

  Appeal of the 3-0 Hazle Township denial of Project Hazelnut.

  NorthPoint vs Hazle Township · Pending
• 2026-05-01
  Land-use appeal (escalated) Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania · (Commonwealth Court)

  Appeal of the 3-0 denial of Project Hazelnut; Luzerne County CCP upheld objections, NorthPoint escalated to Commonwealth Court. DEP permitting proceeds in parallel.

  NorthPoint (NP Hazleton Holdings 1 LLC) vs Hazle Township · Pending (after Luzerne CCP upheld denial)
• 2026-06-08
  Municipal cure / MPC challenge Hazle Township Board of Supervisors · n/a

  Municipal curative amendment temporarily invalidating portions of the township zoning ordinance for 180 days, pausing all new data center applications while the township writes data center standards and shielding the ordinance from defect challenges during that window.

  Hazle Township · Adopted
• 2026-05
  Court ruling Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas · n/a

  The court rebuked the developer’s appeal of the township’s land development denial and held the proposal should proceed through the zoning board via the special exception process.

  NorthPoint Development v. Hazle Township · Decided
• Utility siting application Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission · A-2025-3059443

  PPL seeks approval for 1.1 miles of new double-circuit 230 kV taps in Hazle Township connecting the Susquehanna-Harwood lines to a new Tomhicken 230 kV switchyard. PPL says it is separate from its Sugarloaf 500/230 kV line project.

  PPL Electric Utilities; protesting residents · Pending; public input hearings held June 30, 2026, with phase one evidentiary hearings expected in September 2026
• Eminent domain proceedings Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission · n/a

  PPL is using eminent domain for a larger transmission line with poles averaging 200 feet tall. Its filings cite projected load growth from multiple new customers requesting 230 kV service in the Hazleton area, and the project includes the Tomhicken switchyard at the west end of the Hazelnut campus.

  PPL Electric Utilities; owners of 30 properties along the Sugarloaf line route · Pending; 19 protests filed with the PUC as of July 28, 2026
• 2025-12-19
  PUC letter of notification (transmission line siting) Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, administrative law judges John Coogan and Erin Gannon · A-2025-3059443

  PPL's proposal to build about 1.1 miles of new parallel double-circuit 230 kV taps in Luzerne County connecting the Susquehanna-Harwood #1 and #2 lines to the new Tomhicken 230 kV switchyard.

  PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (applicant); Office of Consumer Advocate (intervenor); two individual protestants · Active; evidentiary hearings held September 17 and 18, 2026, main briefs filed October 8 and 9, reply briefs filed October 23, 2026; no decision posted

• 2026-10-19 Kuwait Times (AFP)Pennsylvania residents spurn $10,000 data center checksAn AFP wire story says residents call NorthPoint's proposed household payments a bribe and that neither NorthPoint nor township officials answered requests for comment.
• 2026-10-16 CybernewsPennsylvania residents reject $10,000 each to support a data centernational pickup
• 2026-10-15 FuturismResidents Reject $10,000 Each to Let a Data Center Set Up in Their Townnational pickup
• 2026-10-13 Citizens' VoicePPL will unveil new powerline plan at open houses in McAdoo, BerwickNew 500 kV line through the Hazleton area
• 2026-09-29 PhillyVoiceA data center developer is offering $10,000 payments to win the support of Poconos residentshousehold payments
• 2026-09-29 EntrepreneurWould You Take a $10,000 Check to Let a Data Center Into Your Backyard? This Town Isn't Buying It.A national business story on NorthPoint's offer of $10,000 to each of Hazle Township's 4,500 households if the project is approved, and on residents' doubts about it.
• 2026-07-28 Shenandoah SentinelPPL follows through with threat, begins eminent domain proceedings for Sugarloaf pole lineeminent domain
• 2026-07-02 Inside Climate NewsEchoes of the past in Pennsylvania coal towns’ fight against data centersThe moratorium win, the Project Hazelnot shirts, and the coal-country context
• 2026-07-01 FOX56PUC hears public concerns on PPL's 230 kV tap plan tied to Tomhicken switchyardpower line hearing
• 2026-06-25 Times LeaderProject Hazlenut developer anounces $165 million community benefits package proposal$165 million package
• 2026-06-24 Fox56Project Hazelnut developers offer $10,000 grants amid ongoing opposition$165M package / Commonwealth Court / transmission opposition
• 2026-06-09 Food & Water WatchHazle Township, PA pauses data center development for six monthsCurative amendment adopted less than two weeks after the court rebuke
• 2026-06-09 FOX56Hazle Township approves 180-day curative amendment to pause zoning over data centersTownship counsel on the challenge shield during the 180 days
• 2026-05-19 Times LeaderHazle Township data center developer announces community development package$30M fund / appeal in CCP
• 2026-04-01 City & State PAPower plays: The battle over data centers in PAHazle Twp denial / appeal context
• 2026-02-18 WVIAResidents raise questions as developer describes Hazle Twp. data center plans at DEP hearingDEP hearing / 2.8 MGD water
• 2025-11-18 Food & Water WatchHazle Township, PA Unanimously Rejects Data Center Campustownship denial