Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Data center developers are pushing Pa. government officials to sign secrecy agreements. At least some are saying yes.

spotlightpa.org · 5h · first reportShare

HARRISBURG — When Talen Energy reached out to Anthony Township Supervisor Craig High about rezoning, he was surprised. In his role, he’s occasionally contacted by companies planning to build within the township. But Montour County, where the small rural community is located, is responsible for major zoning decisions, not Anthony. Still, High and the other supervisors were open to hearing more about what Talen planned to do in their district. But once a date was set, Talen gave High and his colleagues another surprise: The company said the supervisors would need to sign a nondisclosure agreement to hold the meeting. “On the surface, it seemed as though it’s all legitimate. But on the other hand … we’re elected public officials here,” High said. “The premise of saying, ‘Will you not tell your constituents what you’re about to do?’ left a major bad taste in my mouth.” High refused to sign the agreement and did not meet with Talen in the end. But months after that interaction, he found out