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QTS, a major data center developer, has made a significant investment in Pennsylvania by acquiring a massive 1,700-acre site in Salem Township for data center development. The transaction, valued at over $500 million, was carried out through Salem Township Holdings LLC and involved purchasing dozens of land parcels from nearly 100 sellers, according to county property records.
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The newly acquired land is located west of the Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant, an area where Amazon already owns a data center and plans additional development on 1,200 acres of nearby land. QTS has yet to release the full scope of its plans for the site, but reports suggest that the project could include as many as 12 to 17 data centers. Construction on the campus may begin later this year.
On its website, QTS expressed its enthusiasm for this major project, stating, "We are excited to establish a new data center campus in Pennsylvania." The company’s proposed development is situated within the township’s Overlay Zone, which allows data centers as a primary use by-right, facilitating the approval process.
The Salem Township site is part of a broader trend of increasing data center investment in Pennsylvania, driven in part by rising demand for AI infrastructure and data storage. With its proximity to power sources and existing data center hubs, Pennsylvania is emerging as a competitive location. Historically, the state’s data center market was modest, concentrated primarily in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. However, recent years have seen rapid growth in capacity, with total data center capacity increasing from 231 MW in 2021 to about 7.8 GW in 2025, according to DCByte data.
News of QTS’s interest in developing in Pennsylvania first surfaced last year as part of a series of data center-related announcements for the state. At the time, Blackstone disclosed plans to secure multiple sites in Northeastern Pennsylvania for similar projects. The Pennsylvania Office of Transformation and Opportunity has listed QTS Salem as a proposed 1,700+ acre technology campus designed to meet the growing demand for AI and data center infrastructure.
Located adjacent to Amazon’s existing data center operations and with access to ample power resources, the Salem Township site positions QTS to compete in Pennsylvania’s expanding data center market. This acquisition further signals the state’s increasing importance as a hub for large-scale data center developments. The company’s investment underscores its commitment to meeting the surging demand for data processing and storage driven by advancements in AI and digital technologies.
While exact timelines and development details remain to be announced, QTS’s substantial purchase marks a significant step forward for both the company and the region. The data center campus promises to add capacity to a state poised for large-scale growth in the tech infrastructure sector.
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