PA's largest coal plant to become natural gas-fueled data center campus

What had been Pennsylvania's largest coal-fired power plant is now set to become a natural gas-powered data center campus

supplying energy for artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications. This $10 billion project at the former Homer City Power Plant has been called the biggest capital investment in state history

and investors say even more funding could be required. According to developers, the site will host seven gas-fired turbines capable of producing up to 4.5 gigawatts of electricity

enough to power approximately 3 million homes. That sizable amount of energy will be needed for data center operations

which can require the same amount of electricity as a small city. Once completed, this facility will become the largest gas-fired power plant in the United States

and the nation's third-largest power generation facility. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with electricity generation expected to start by 2027

This comes after the demolition of the retired coal plants, cooling towers

and smokestacks last month. The Homer City power plant was shut down in 2023 after 54 years in

operation as it faced increasing competition from lower cost natural gas, reduced demand due to

milder winters, rising coal costs, and stricter environmental regulations. However, the location

now offers existing infrastructure advantages for the incoming natural gas-powered data center campus

including transmission lines connected to the Mid-Atlantic and New York power grids

substations and water access. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Jack Elmer