- A $10 billion natural gas-powered data center campus is set to replace the former Homer City coal plant in Pennsylvania, marking what has been called the largest capital investment in the state’s history. The site will generate up to 4.5 gigawatts of electricity to power AI and cloud computing operations.
- This new facility will become the largest gas-fired power plant in the U.S. and the third-largest power generation site overall, with construction beginning in 2025 and operations expected by 2027.
- The site offers redevelopment advantages due to its existing infrastructure, including access to transmission lines, substations, and water. Following market and regulatory pressures, the coal plant closed, and the site now offers redevelopment advantages.
Full Story
What was once Pennsylvania’s largest former coal-fired power plant is now set to become a natural gas-powered data center campus. Officials said the $10 billion project, announced Wednesday, April 2, is expected to be the largest capital investment in the state’s history and could require additional funding as plans progress.
Why is Pennsylvania investing in this project?
This initiative plans to repurpose the site of the retired Homer City Generating Station, located about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Developers said the new facility will house seven gas-fired turbines that can produce up to 4.5 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 3 million homes.
That level of energy production is essential for the incoming data center campus to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications. Data centers are known for their major electricity demands, with some using as much power as a small city.
How will this planned facility compare to others nationwide?
Once completed, the facility will become the largest gas-fired power plant in the United States and the third-largest power generation site nationwide. Construction is slated to begin sometime in 2025, with energy production expected to start by 2027.
What happened to the old coal plant?
The project follows the demolition of the cooling towers and smokestacks at the Homer City Generating Station last month, which shut down in 2023 after 54 years in operation. The coal plant had faced growing challenges in recent years, including competition from lower-cost natural gas, milder winters reducing energy demand, rising coal prices and tighter environmental regulations.
However, the location is strategically advantageous for redevelopment due to its existing infrastructure, including substations, water access and transmission lines connecting to the Mid-Atlantic and New York power grids.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Jack Aylmer
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://straightarrownews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
