Data center developer NorthPoint Development is trying to win over residents of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, with an unusual offer: $10,000 per household if its proposed 1,300-acre facility is approved. According to Tom's Hardware, the company has also floated up to $120 million over 15 years for community services, but the direct cash payments are the new twist in its charm offensive.
Local reaction has been cool. Interviews with residents cited concerns about noise pollution, potential drops in property values, water and energy costs, and general distrust of both AI moguls and local government. Some called the payment a bribe, and many said $10,000 wasn't enough to change their minds.
Hazle Township's government already rejected the project on zoning grounds last year and has a temporary moratorium on data center construction. Offer letters started arriving in June, but the WSJ report, as covered by Tom's Hardware, found few residents eager to welcome the data center for the payout.