Keel Infrastructure Opens Dialogue with Community on Proposed Scrubgrass Data Center
CLINTONVILLE, Pa. — In a show of early outreach, Keel Infrastructure invited Venan-go County residents to a series of open information sessions on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Clintonville Volunteer Fire Department. The company, formerly known as Bitfarms, shared its vision for transforming the Scrubgrass Township site into a modern high-performance computing and artificial intelligence data center campus. (Super Intelligence)
Three sessions held on Tuesday and two on Wednesday — drew community members eager to learn more. Doors opened early each time, with coffee and refreshments available, creating a welcoming atmosphere for conversation.
Alex Brammer, Keel’s Executive Vice President of Operations, led the presentations. He outlined plans to redevelop the former waste-coal power plant, where Bitcoin mining operations concluded business in June 2026. The company envisions a large-scale campus with potential capacity of up to 1.3 gigawatts across roughly 300 of the 650 acres available. Exact details remain flexible, as formal plans and permit applications have not yet been submitted.
Brammer emphasized that Keel would develop the infrastructure and lease space to tenants such as hyperscalers and AI firms. (Google, Meta) Construction could begin as early as 2027 and continue through 2032, with the possibility of partial operations starting in 2029.
A central theme of the sessions was local economic opportunity. During the multi-year build-out, the project is expected to support about 2,000 full-time construction jobs each year, along with thousands of indirect and induced positions. Once fully operational, the campus could employ around 600 permanent full-time workers. Brammer highlighted plans for local training programs that could prepare local residents—after a background check and basic qualifications—for entry-level technician roles in as little as six to 12 months.
Environmental responsibility also featured prominently. Keel plans to use closed-loop cooling systems to minimize water consumption, implement monitoring and controls for noise and light, and meet the executive order by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) standards. The company is exploring the conversion of the existing plant into up to 550 megawatts of behind-the-meter natural gas generation. Brammer noted that the project would align with the state’s renewable energy requirements, which scale toward 32 percent by 2035.
Importantly, Brammer acknowledged the starting point of limited community trust, given both the site’s history and broader industry challenges. He framed the sessions as a deliberate first step—held well before any permitting process—to listen and respond to local priorities.
Residents raised thoughtful questions about noise levels (especially concerns carried over from previous operations that were more noticeable across the river in Rockland Township), the ongoing cleanup of a coal ash pile under a Department of Environmental Protection consent order, water use, energy sources, tax considerations, and vegetation buffers. Brammer responded that Keel is actively addressing the inherited environmental obligations and committed to detailed noise modeling at sensitive locations such as homes and schools. He encouraged residents to keep tabs of the company’s promises as discussions continue.
While some attendees, returning for a second session, had their questions answered, left more optimistic, others described the sessions as educational and encouraging. Several attendees left hopeful that, with strong community guardrails, the project could bring positive change rather than disruption. Attendees were also encouraged by Keel Infrastructure’s current and future promise of good stewardship of the grounds and surrounding environment up and down the valley.
Brammer closed by promising further engagement over the coming months. “This is just the beginning,” he told the groups, inviting ongoing dialogue as the company refines its plans, with emphasis on the communities concerns. He reminded the group that Keel was only in the concept phase, the design and permit phase is next, and that there were many hurdles ahead, prior to building.
These initial meetings represent an early chapter in a longer process that will involve township and county reviews, environmental assessments, and infrastructure planning. Scrubgrass Township has already adopted a data center ordinance and is forming a planning commission, providing additional frameworks for responsible development, which Brammer said, “Keel will abide too, and build responsibly”.
For residents of Venango County, the conversations at the Clintonville Fire Hall marked a constructive beginning—one focused on jobs, careful planning, and the chance to shape a project that could become part of the region’s future.
