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Pennsylvania Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Pennsylvania — updated daily.
Recent Pennsylvania data center news
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Pennsylvania coal-plant to be turned into gas-powered data centre campus
The Homer City Generating Station, previously the largest coal-burning power plant in Pennsylvania, will be repurposed into a 4.5GW combined-cycle gas plant. Developed by Homer City Development (HCD) and constructed by Kiewit Power Constructors Co., the facility is expected to commence operation in 2027, utilizing seven GE Vernova 7HA.02 turbines. The plant will leverage existing transmission lines and natural gas from the Marcellus Shale Region to support hyperscale data centers, indicating a shift in infrastructure use from coal to natural gas for powering AI and cloud computing applications.
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Nation’s Largest Gas-Fired Plant Planned at Former Pennsylvania Coal Plant Site
Homer City Redevelopment (HCR) and Kiewit Power Constructors have announced the redevelopment of the former Homer City Generating Station site into a $10 billion natural gas-fired facility. This campus is expected to have a power generation capacity of 4.5 GW, making it the largest gas-fired power station in the U.S. Construction at the site is expected to start in 2025. The project aims to utilize natural gas from the Marcellus Shale and is part of Pennsylvania’s efforts to phase out coal-fired power by 2028.
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Homer City Redevelopment and Kiewit announce country’s largest natural gas-powered data center campus to support AI and HPC demand
Homer City Redevelopment (HCR) and Kiewit Power Constructors Co. announced the transformation of the former Homer City Generating Station into a natural gas-powered data center campus spanning over 3,200 acres. This facility, projected to generate up to 4.5 GW of energy via seven GE Vernova turbines, represents the largest capital investment in Pennsylvania’s history. The first turbine deliveries are anticipated to commence in 2026, aiming to support the growing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC).
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Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Public Utility Commission Sets Hearing on AI Data Centers’ Impacts on Electricity
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced a hearing on April 24, 2025, to evaluate the impact of AI data centers on the state’s electricity infrastructure and economy. PUC Chairperson Stephen DeFrank emphasized the need to protect consumers while facilitating economic growth and technological advancement. The commission will investigate two major data center projects: Constellation Energy’s $1.6 billion restart of its nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island to provide carbon-free electricity for Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services’ $650 million data center purchase near a nuclear plant that will consume energy equivalent to 900,000 homes.
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Empowering the Energy Workforce for an AI-Driven Future
Carnegie Mellon University is pioneering efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the energy sector. AI is enhancing grid operations, optimizing energy efficiency, and facilitating the use of renewable sources. CMU has established initiatives to prepare the workforce for the evolving energy job market by analyzing job trends and providing personalized advice to workers. The Workforce Supply Chains Initiative aims to ensure workers are equipped with relevant skills that meet the demands of a transforming energy landscape.
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🌎 CERAWeek 2025: More power, more problems #237
CERAWeek 2025, dubbed the ‘Super Bowl of Energy’, took place in Houston and emphasized the pressing need for energy solutions amidst AI demands. Key discussions highlighted $40m in specialty chemicals funding, $28m in air carbon capture, and $28m in grid power storage. Secretary Chris Wright criticized previous green policies, pushing for gas, nuclear, and geothermal solutions instead. Industry leaders are advocating for an ‘all of the above’ approach to meet energy demands despite existing supply chain challenges and policy uncertainties.
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LS Power Adding Gas-Fired Capacity as Part of PJM Initiative
LS Power announced its application to build approximately 700 MW of new generation supply as part of PJM’s Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI) aimed at connecting high-reliability projects to the grid. The company is converting two peaking facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania to baseload combined-cycle plants and plans capacity uprates at other existing facilities in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The total investment for these projects exceeds $1 billion, with completion anticipated sooner than larger projects.
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Navigating the Energy Future of Data Centers
The Biden Administration issued an executive order to support the data center industry’s energy needs, requiring the DOE to allocate regions for geothermal projects by Jan. 14, 2025. The order mandates that by Feb. 28, 2025, specific sites for AI data centers be identified to operate by Dec. 31, 2027. Reports indicate that data centers may consume up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028, making energy efficiency and sustainability critical. New technologies for cooling and power sourcing are being explored to mitigate energy demands and enhance efficiency.
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LS Power Submits Proposal to Add New Generation Supply Across PJM
LS Power has submitted a proposal to construct approximately 700 MW of new generation capacity as part of PJM’s Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI). This initiative seeks to expedite the connection of shovel-ready, high-reliability projects to the grid due to increasing demand and forecasted load growth. LS Power plans to convert two facilities in Pennsylvania and Ohio to base-load combined cycle plants and has projected an investment value of more than $1 billion for these capacity additions.
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AI-powered cooling startup aims to boost data center efficiency
NexDCCool Technologies, a startup founded by Penn State researchers, is developing AI-powered software to optimize cooling systems in data centers. The technology aims to minimize cooling demands, allowing for more power allocation to IT tasks, thereby increasing potential revenues. Recently, the team participated in the NSF I-Corps program to better understand customer needs and refine their commercialization strategy.