A planned public discussion about the growing presence of data centers in Montgomery County has been postponed, writes Justin Heinze for Patch.

The event was organized by the county to provide residents with more information about the industry and was scheduled for March 18 at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. The forum was intended to bring together industry experts and companies that operate data centers to explain how the facilities impact issues such as energy demand, grid capacity and water usage.

Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello said the decision to postpone the event was partly due to “growing security concerns,” as well as scheduling conflicts. A new date has not yet been announced.

County officials have described the event as educational, designed to help residents better understand the technology and infrastructure behind data centers.

However, the planned forum has also drawn scrutiny from some local residents and advocacy groups, including the organization No Conshy Data Centers. Critics have argued that the panel should include a wider range of perspectives.

Residents across Montgomery County have raised questions about the potential impacts of data centers, including energy consumption, water use, air emissions, and noise.

To learn more about the postponed MCCC data center event, visit Patch.