Keel Infrastructure Gains Zoning Approval for 110MW Data Center Expansion in Sharon, Pennsylvania
April 29, 2026
Keel Infrastructure Gains Zoning Approval for 110MW Data Center Expansion in Sharon, Pennsylvania
The zoning board of Sharon, Pennsylvania, has approved a planned expansion of a data center development by Keel Infrastructure, the Bitcoin and AI infrastructure company formerly known as Bitfarms. The decision marks a key step forward for the project, which now moves to regional and municipal planning bodies for final review.
The approval covers an expansion tied to a 110MW data center that Keel is building on 18 acres of former industrial land in Sharon. The company acquired the Clark Street site—previously home to a Westinghouse Electric plant—in October 2025. Keel currently operates a 30MW data center at the location, with two 80MW substations expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Once fully operational, the facility is slated to deploy Nvidia Vera Rubin hardware, positioning it for high-performance computing and AI workloads.
The zoning board’s approval came with conditions, including a 70-decibel noise limit and a restriction preventing the data center from drawing water from the nearby river. Local news outlet WKBN reported that these terms were designed to address community concerns. The proposal will now be reviewed by the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, the Sharon Planning Commission, and the city council. Keel said it would begin construction and hiring at the site before the end of 2026 if final approvals are granted.
Liam Wilson, chief operating officer of Keel Infrastructure, emphasized the project’s potential to revitalize the area. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility, but it really also gives back so much to the community there. The fact that this piece of land has no future use, the fact that we’re fixing up an eyesore, the fact that we’re essentially, you know, giving this Brownfield facility another lease on life, I think that’s all great,” he said.
However, the proposal has drawn scrutiny from some local residents. One resident told WKBN: “I’ve heard it causes noise. I have heard it makes your electricity bill go up. I have heard it makes your water bill go up, and it makes a lot of humming noise.” City Manager Bob Fiscus said the zoning board weighed these concerns before reaching its decision.
Keel Infrastructure was founded in 2017 as Bitfarms and has since operated more than a dozen Bitcoin mining data centers across the United States, Canada, and Argentina. In January 2026, the company sold a site in Paraguay to Hive Digital and announced a strategic pivot toward developing AI and high-performance computing data centers in the U.S. The company rebranded as Keel Infrastructure in February 2026. CEO Ben Gagon explained at the time: “Our new name reflects how we think about infrastructure, how we’re building this company, and how we want to serve our future customers. The keel is the structural backbone of a vessel—the largely unseen but critical foundation that provides stability and converts energy into forward motion. It represents our commitment to becoming an infrastructure partner that enables customers to achieve their goals in the HPC/AI revolution that will continue for years to come.”
The Sharon expansion underscores a broader trend of former industrial sites being repurposed for data center development, particularly as demand for AI and HPC infrastructure surges. The project’s progression through local planning commissions will be closely watched as a bellwether for community acceptance of large-scale data centers in smaller municipalities.
Source: datacenterdynamics
