04-04-2025
Gas-powered site planned for former Homer City coal property
HOMER CITY, Pa. – The site of a former Homer City coal plant will see new life powering the artificial intelligence sector – perhaps as soon as 2027.
A partnership called Homer City Redevelopment is planning to develop a 3,200-acre 'data center' – and the nation's largest natural gas plant – at the site to support the energy-needy AI industry.
It's a move project planners said will create or support 1,000 jobs.
The site is 25 miles northwest of Johnstown.
And planners said the campus would include the nation's largest natural gas-fired power plant to date.
The facility's seven GE Vernova turbines would generate 4.5 gigawatts of power – more than double the output capacity of the former Homer City goal station – part of which would be connected to the mid-Atlantic's PJM Interconnection energy grid through the property's pre-existing infrastructure, officials said.
'This project will honor Homer City's place in the proud history of Pennsylvania energy generation, while accelerating the state and local community's ability to meet the needs of a rapidly shifting energy landscape,' said William Wexler, president and CEO of HCR.
Big Tech's rapidly evolving usage of artificial intelligence – and the demand for it – requires vasts amounts of electricity and modern data centers to house large-scale servers and other Information Technology infrastructure.
Western Pennsylvania – Indiana and Cambria counties included – sit above the Marcellus Shale and its abundant pockets of natural gas that could be used to fuel the campus center.
The project has been in the works for some time.
Homer City Redevelopment already imploded the former, outdated coal plant. It outlined renderings of the project and a list of partners Wednesday.
Partners include Massachussetts-based General Electric offshoot GE Vernova and Kiewit Power Constructors, which will build the facility.
As designed, the project would develop a generating station whose greenhouse gases would be more than 60% lower per-megawatt hour than its predecessor.
'This project demonstrates the best in what investing in power can do; more affordable and reliable energy for everyone, revitalizing local economic development benefits with thousands of skilled jobs and enabling Pennsylvania to help lead the future of AI,' said Vernova CEO Scott Strazik, who added the company was honored that its U.S. manufactured turbines will be powering the project.
Kiewit Power Constructors will build the facility.
'Alongside our best-in-class partners, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that Homer City's transformation can happen as quickly and seamlessly as possible,' Wexler said.
The goal is to begin installing turbines as soon as 2026 and begin operating the facility in 2027.
