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Homer City Economic Boom Now Under Way from Data Center Project
Earlier this month, Homer City Generation announced the early completion of demolition and excavation work at its Indiana County, Pennsylvania, site, marking a major milestone in transforming the former coal-fired power plant into a gas-fired power plant and AI data center complex (see PA’s Homer City Gas-Fired Project Completes Site Demolition Early). Some 1,300 skilled workers are currently on site building what will become North America’s largest energy campus of its kind. The number of workers may grow to 10,000! All of those workers in a relatively rural area like Homer City/Indiana County equals growing pains. Read More “Homer City Economic Boom Now Under Way from Data Center Project”
JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation that works on behalf of the state to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio by attracting business, contracts its economic research to Cleveland State University (CSU) to monitor the Utica Shale industry. JobsOhio released the latest CSU twice-a-year report yesterday (full copy below). It shows that Ohio’s shale energy sector drew another $2.9 billion in direct investment between January and June 2025, pushing cumulative investment in the Utica since 2011 to nearly $117.5 billion. All private money! It’s massive. 
A study by the Pittsburgh Technology Council and Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies projects that Pennsylvania’s data center expansion will generate $12 billion in annual economic output and nearly 20,000 jobs by 2036. With a forecasted 4,000% increase in data center construction, the commonwealth is leveraging its status as a leading energy exporter and its $29 billion manufacturing sector to support global cloud infrastructure. By integrating robust natural gas and nuclear resources with data development, Pennsylvania is positioning itself as a leader in the AI economy. That is, IF antis don’t blow the opportunity by blocking new data centers (see 
West Virginia continues to cement its status as a national energy powerhouse, ranking as the fifth-largest natural gas producer in the U.S. and providing 10% of the country’s total natgas supply. The 2025 “Gas Facts” report (copy below) from the Gas and Oil Association of WV (GO-WV) highlights a record production of 3.27 trillion cubic feet, fueling an industry that supports 73,000 jobs and contributes $14.7 billion to the state economy. The sector generates hundreds of millions in tax revenue for schools and infrastructure, alongside $1 billion in landowner royalties. Driven by counties like Wetzel and Tyler, the state remains vital to national energy security. 
JobsOhio, a private, nonprofit corporation that works on behalf of the state to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio by attracting business, contracts its economic research to Cleveland State University (CSU) to keep tabs on the Utica Shale industry. JobsOhio released the latest CSU updated report earlier this week (full copy below), showing that more than $114.6 billion has been invested in Ohio across natural gas, natural gas liquids, and petrochemical supply chain industries since 2011. Ohio’s shale energy sector drew approximately $3.5 billion in fresh capital between July and December 2024. 
Vallourec Star, a steel pipe manufacturer in Youngstown, OH, serving the shale and other industries, was approved yesterday by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority for a seven-year job creation tax credit. It means the company will create 40 new full-time positions. The tax credit supports Vallourec Star’s plan to expand its current operations to manufacture a new line of high-quality steel pipe. 
Pennsylvania is aggressively positioning itself as a leader in the AI data center race with an ambitious $92 billion, state-level initiative (see 
In August, EOG Resources, one of the largest oil and gas drillers in the U.S. (with international operations in several other countries) and a Fortune 500 company, closed on the $5.6 billion purchase of Encino Energy, adding 675,000 net acres in the Utica and over 1,000 operating shale wells (see 
Our friend Bill desRosiers, Manager of Government and External Affairs at Coterra Energy, has authored an excellent article and white paper addressing the topic of how the oil and gas industry can use virtual reality (VR) to attract new blood to the industry. The oil and gas industry is facing a significant workforce challenge: nearly 400,000 U.S. energy workers are nearing retirement, while younger generations remain hesitant to enter the field. In spring 2025, Coterra partnered with Xalter to deploy a multi-state pilot VR program to prepare the next generation of energy workers. Bill draws back the curtain to discuss the company’s experience in using VR for training and to attract new talent to the company. 
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. 
According to the Financial Times (of London), the world’s biggest oil and gas companies are cutting jobs, slashing costs, and scaling back investments at the fastest pace since the coronavirus market collapse, as executives brace for a prolonged period of lower crude prices. The reason for the cuts is low oil prices, which FT says have hit the U.S. shale industry “particularly hard.” There is no denying that the price has steadily sunk to new lows each month over the past year. However, we now appear to be entrenched in the $60s, although that could change. 
West Virginia’s oil, gas, and coal industries are experiencing a resurgence, fueled by supportive state and federal policies. Gas & Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV) President Charlie Burd reports that Fiscal Year FY25 severance tax collections rose to $318 million, alongside record natural gas production, 90% of which is exported out of the state. Property taxes levied on oil and gas in the state were $428 million for FY24 (the 2025 numbers are not out yet). Burd said the O&G industry continues to directly employ around 15,000 people.