CUMRU TWP., Pa. — If you drive along Route 422 or Interstate 176, you’ve probably seen it before — the old Titus power plant in Cumru Township.
Now, Titus Development Co. and Go Energy Group want to turn the site into a large artificial intelligence data center campus.
Think of it like a massive building filled with computer servers used to power AI.
“It is a very large building that has lots and lots of servers in it, at the most basic level,” said Cumru Township Commissioner Greg Miller. “When I say large, I’m talking large. Now, how exactly large this one will be, we won’t know until those plans come in.”
The proposed project, if approved, would be built at the former Titus Station site, which has been vacant since the plant was decommissioned in 2014.
Township officials say this is still just the beginning. No formal land development plan has been submitted yet.
“We just learned about this. This deal just happened apparently from the press release…so we’re all kind of in this beginning stage right now,” Miller said.
Cumru Township recently passed a new ordinance specifically for data centers, setting rules for things like noise, water usage, power demand and location.
“We’re actually the first municipality in Berks County that put one of these ordinances in place, and it’s for protection,” Miller said. “It wasn’t for promotion necessarily; it’s just protection.”
While data centers can bring tax revenue and development, officials say the community comes first.
“We’re not going to sell the soul of the community for tax revenue,” Miller said.
Township leaders say residents will have opportunities to weigh in once formal plans are submitted.