Shippingport Borough, Beaver County
Aligned Data Centers is building Project Phoenix, a three-building data center campus of nearly 2 million square feet on about 651 acres of the former Bruce Mansfield coal plant property in Shippingport Borough, next to Frontier Group's planned conversion of the old plant into a natural gas power station.
Bruce Mansfield stopped burning coal in 2019, and Frontier Group of Companies bought the plant in 2022 and renamed the area the Shippingport Industrial Park. Shippingport held a hearing on March 4, 2025, on Ordinance 240, which made data centers a conditional use with standards on noise, water and power planning, and the ordinance passed that March. On July 15, 2025, Frontier announced a $3.2 billion plan to convert the coal plant to natural gas, which it said would create more than 300 permanent jobs and 15,000 construction jobs. Council rezoned parts of the industrial park from residential to general industrial in July 2025 and again on Nov. 4, 2025. Aligned and Kimley-Horn presented early plans on Dec. 9, 2025, when company representatives apologized for seismic testing letters sent to residents without notice. On Jan. 28, 2026, council unanimously approved the Phase 1 grading permit and the conditional use with modifications for a 65-foot height, 24-hour construction, clearing of 75 percent of the woodlands and a 65 decibel noise cap at the nearest home. On March 31, 2026, council approved round-the-clock rock crushing 3 to 2 and approved the conditional use subject to a written decision. A Zoning Hearing Board hearing on an application from Shippingport Industrial Park, LLC set for July 13, 2026, was cancelled when the applicant withdrew. Aligned closed on 650.89 acres for $223,150,865.38 on July 27, 2026, DEP scheduled a public information session in Shippingport for Aug. 18, and Aligned broke ground on Sept. 10, 2026. Council approved the Phase 2 land development plan on Sept. 21, 2026.
Council allowed construction and construction noise 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and raised the operating noise limit to a maximum of 65 decibels measured at the closest residence, where the borough ordinance treats 50 decibels at the property line as noise.
Borough of ShippingportOn March 31, 2026, council voted 3 to 2 to let Aligned run rock crushers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if needed for the length of construction, with a promise to take reasonable steps to reduce noise if the borough shows good cause.
Borough of ShippingportBackup diesel generators planned for behind-the-meter resilience.
Council approved a 20-foot height variance for buildings up to 65 feet, clearing of 75 percent of the woodlands, and regrading of up to 90 percent of moderate slopes and 75 percent of slopes of 25 percent or more.
Borough of ShippingportAbout 3,000 construction workers are expected on site. Traffic signals are planned at the end of Ferry Hill Road and at the Gate 17 entrance, shuttle buses are being explored, and council members raised concerns about trucks in the Ferry Hill Road tunnels and a school bus stop at Gate 17.
Borough of ShippingportAligned told council in September 2026 that the site will include an on-site generation plant along with three data center buildings and a warehouse.
Borough of ShippingportAligned estimates about 3,000 construction jobs and about 640 full-time operations jobs for the data center campus. Frontier separately said its coal-to-gas conversion would bring 15,000 construction jobs and more than 300 permanent jobs.
Aligned Data Centers (press release)Aligned says each building uses a closed-loop system that recycles deionized water and needs no water for operational cooling, giving the campus a water footprint it compares to an office building.
Aligned Data Centers (press release)The borough engineer said Shippingport's water system can meet the project's demand, with on-site tank storage providing fire flow protection; an application listing the Aliquippa water authority was called a mistake, with that authority only a backup.
Borough of ShippingportAligned says the campus will run on its own dedicated on-site power source, expects to send excess capacity back to the grid, and has signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
Aligned Data Centers (press release)Residents raised questions about property values, landslides and ground stability in an area above old mines, according to the borough's emergency services coordinator.
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteIn Pennsylvania, the local zoning ordinance sets the route. A conditional use is decided by the elected governing body (supervisors, commissioners or council). A special exception or variance, and an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision, go to the Zoning Hearing Board. Each is a public hearing on a record: affected neighbors can ask for party status, cross-examine witnesses, and appeal. Municipalities can also adopt data center ordinances with enforceable standards.
Know your rights →Organized community opposition is the single most effective check on these projects in Pennsylvania. Show up to hearings, submit comment when it is taken, support legal and expert-witness costs, and press your municipality for a real ordinance. Pennsylvania municipalities cannot simply freeze applications, but a curative amendment under the Planning Code gives them a defined window to fix a defective ordinance.
How communities push back →