Homer City Project Could Get First Data Center Tenant by Dec. 31
In April, Knighthead Capital Management, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR), and Kiewit Power Constructors Co. announced a plan to convert the former Homer City Generating Station, previously the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania (Indiana County, 50 miles east of Pittsburgh) into a more than 3,200-acre natural gas-powered data center campus, designed to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (see Largest Gas-Fired Power Plant in the U.S. Coming in Western Pa.). The new gas-fired plant will be THE LARGEST gas-fired power plant in the country, capable of producing up to 4.5 gigawatts (4,500 MW) of electricity. The project managers aren’t wasting any time. There is such a strong interest in data centers locating at the site that the first official tenant will likely be signed by the end of this year, says Robin Gorman, the vice president of Homer City Redevelopment. Read More “Homer City Project Could Get First Data Center Tenant by Dec. 31”
Deep River Data, a company with connections to the cryptocurrency industry, wants to drill for natural gas in Lee County, North Carolina. However, production from the well would not be used to power crypto mining, but instead to fuel an AI data center. If approved, the project would be the first commercial well drilled into the Triassic Basin, a natural gas repository underlying North Carolina and other Eastern Seaboard states. The well that is planned is conventional, not shale, so it involves no (or very little) fracking. 
The current king of U.S. data centers is Virginia. As we wrote about earlier this month, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grab that title away from Virginia, IF PA doesn’t screw it up (see 
The Trump administration wants to win the race for artificial intelligence (AI) with China. The administration is pulling out all the stops to ensure the U.S. is #1 in AI. That means building new data centers. Last Thursday, Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) Chris Wright took the unusual step of sending a directive to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), instructing the agency to initiate rulemaking procedures to rapidly accelerate the interconnection of large loads, including data centers. Wright even included his own proposed rule for FERC to adopt (spoon-fed). 
CNX Resources is partnering with Chicago real estate giant JLL to market and lease the 1,500-acre Zediker Station site in South Strabane Township, about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. The property offers 400 buildable acres, access to natural gas reserves and ample water, and features a unique, carbon-neutral power solution. The companies are pitching Remediated Mine Gas (RMG)—methane captured from coal mine ventilation systems—which, when blended with traditional natural gas, can achieve carbon-neutral power generation for a potential data center. 
The Pennsylvania Energy Ecosystem Conference was held yesterday at Washington & Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy and Management in conjunction with the Central Appalachian Partnership for Carbon Storage Deployment. The event featured industry leaders, policymakers, and other experts. We’re not sure what the focus of the event was last year, but the star of this year’s conference was natural gas, and, to a lesser extent, coal. In other words, fossil fuels took center stage. 
Pennsylvania is aggressively positioning itself as a leader in the AI data center race with an ambitious $92 billion, state-level initiative (see 
Earlier this week, a seven-member, all-Democrat group of Pennsylvania House of Representatives members announced a six-bill legislative package aimed at regulating the “responsible development” of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the state. “Responsible development” is code for “no development” of new AI data centers. The proposed onerous legislation focuses on environmental and community impacts related to the centers’ water and energy use, emergency preparedness, community standards, and transparency. Don’t be fooled. This is an attempt to throttle new data centers to prevent more natural gas from being used to power them. 
Southwestern Pennsylvania faces a time-sensitive opportunity to capitalize on the AI data center boom, with small and midsized manufacturers positioned to play a key role, industry experts said at a recent conference held in Pittsburgh. The rush to build advanced facilities, which have extensive physical, energy, and technology requirements, demands speed and coordination. Panelists highlighted Pennsylvania’s abundant natural gas and diverse energy potential as critical for powering centers, while noting that regulatory frameworks, workforce capacity, and supply chain readiness are equally vital. With $92 billion in committed investment, the region could leverage this moment if policies, energy costs, and development incentives align effectively. The question is, will SWPA be able to pull it off? 
In April, MDN told you of a proposal by Fundamental Data for the “Ridgeline Facility,” a large natural gas power plant and data center that will be built between Davis and Thomas, WV (see 
In April, Knighthead Capital Management, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR), and Kiewit Power Constructors Co. announced a plan to convert the former Homer City Generating Station, previously the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania (Indiana County, 50 miles east of Pittsburgh) into a more than 3,200-acre natural gas-powered data center campus, designed to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (see 
The oilfield is rapidly transforming as AI and automation replace many traditional roughneck roles, shifting work from mud-soaked rigs to remote data monitoring. So claims a new article appearing in Fortune magazine. Since 2014, the U.S. has lost 35% of its oil, gas, and mining jobs—about 270,000 positions—while companies like Chevron, BP, and ConocoPhillips remain profitable by cutting costs through technology. Autonomous drilling, AI-driven fracking, and data analytics enable longer wells, faster operations, and fewer rigs, thereby reducing labor needs. 
Patrick Morrisey served as the 34th attorney general of West Virginia from 2013 to 2025. Last November, he was elected as the state’s 37th governor, assuming office in January. Morrisey has been an unabashed champion for fossil fuels since taking office. He’s a visionary, charting out the future of the state’s economy. Gov. Morrisey cast a vision for the future of the state earlier this month at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Business Summit (see