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Pennsylvania Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Pennsylvania — updated daily.
Pennsylvania · Construction & power moves · 3
full tracker →Land, power, and interconnection moves across Pennsylvania — each traced to primary filings.
Recent Pennsylvania data center news
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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.
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Microsoft Weighs Natural Gas With Carbon Capture To Power AI Data Centers
Microsoft’s VP of Energy, Bobby Hollis, announced that the company is exploring the use of natural gas combined with carbon capture technology to power its AI data centers amid surging demand. The feasibility of this approach depends on the commercial viability and cost-competitiveness of carbon capture. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil plans to launch operations for its natural gas plant within five years, while Chevron has partnered with GE Vernova for a plant set to start in 2027. Baker Hughes is collaborating with Frontier Infrastructure to develop a carbon storage hub in Wyoming.
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New Analyses Spotlight Massive Potential for Geothermal Powered Data Centers in the US
The Project InnerSpace launched a new data center module in its GeoMap™ tool that identifies the best locations for geothermal development in the United States and globally. This initiative aims to meet nearly two-thirds of the forecasted data center demand growth in the US, particularly in Texas and federal lands throughout the western United States. The research indicates that geothermal energy could fulfill the entire demand growth in 13 of the 15 largest data center markets by the early 2030s, significantly reducing energy costs. The report highlights that by utilizing geothermal power, data centers can also improve their operational efficiency, especially in cooling.
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The data center decade has arrived
The United States is anticipating a 30% surge in power demand by 2050, primarily driven by the expansion of data centers and the adoption of electric vehicles. Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR) reported a projected 15.83% rise in total annual energy consumption through 2035. The technology sector is entering an unprecedented capital expenditures cycle, with hyperscalers expected to spend over $50 billion annually by the decade’s end. Notably, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will host a significant data center facility totaling 2.2 GW by 2027.
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https://cleanpower.org/wp-content/uploads/gateway/2025/03/US_National_Power_Demand_Study_2025_FINAL.pdf
US-based American Clean Power Association, along with several other organizations including the American Petroleum Institute, Alliance to Save Energy, Clean Energy Buyers Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, commissioned a study by S&P Global Commodity Insights. The study, titled ‘US National Power Demand Study’, was released on March 7, 2025. It projects a significant growth in electricity demand in the US, driven by manufacturing, data centers, and the electrification of heating and transportation. The study highlights the need for substantial additions to the energy supply, including 60 to 100 GW of gas and over 900 GW of renewables and batteries by 2040. It also emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency and clean firm technologies like advanced nuclear and geothermal in maintaining grid reliability and reducing carbon emissions. The study identifies challenges such as outdated interconnection processes, local opposition, and supply chain constraints, and suggests policy reforms to address these issues. The report also notes that wholesale power prices could be around 20% higher in the short term due to higher gas prices and increased demand.