Pennsylvania Energy & Innovation Summit Spotlights Indiana County’s Energy Future

Carnegie Mellon University hosted Pennsylvania’s inaugural Energy & Innovation Summit on July 15, 2025, drawing national and state leaders to spotlight a wave of investments in energy, artificial intelligence (AI), workforce development, and infrastructure. More than $90 billion in projects were announced statewide – ranging from new data centers to power plant upgrades – as officials touted Pennsylvania’s readiness to lead in the AI-driven economy. Indiana County took a turn in the spotlight when one of the summit’s headline projects, a massive energy, and data campus at the former Homer City power station, was highlighted as a key example of this investment surge.

One major announcement centered on the Homer City project, a $10 billion plan to transform the decommissioned Homer City Generating Station site into a state-of-the-art natural gas power plant and AI data center campus. Developers aim to deliver up to 4.5 gigawatts of power – double the former coal plant’s capacity – to meet growing demand from high-performance computing and AI companies. This investment is expected to create about 10,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent high-tech and energy infrastructure jobs in Indiana County, providing a significant economic boost. Regional officials have hailed the Homer City redevelopment as “truly historic” – potentially the largest single-site capital investment ever in Pennsylvania – and a turning point for a region long tied to energy production. Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Steven Lomax praised the plan, saying the community is “really excited” and that it will be “great for jobs in the community.” (The Homer City site stopped generating power in 2023, so its revival is poised to continue the area’s legacy as an “energy superpower” in the region.)

Summit organizers emphasized that these investments must be matched by workforce development and local engagement. Finally, several initiatives unveiled at the event promise new opportunities for Indiana County’s businesses and workers. Google, for example, launched an “AI Works for PA” program to offer free AI training to one million Pennsylvania small businesses and residents – a resource local firms can leverage to upskill employees. Meta likewise pledged $2.5 million for a partnership with Carnegie Mellon’s entrepreneurship center to support startups in rural Pennsylvania, including accelerator training for small businesses, which could benefit entrepreneurs in Indiana County. On the skilled trades side, plans are underway to expand training pipelines: Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center announced it will build a first-of-its-kind regional academy to train energy and AI infrastructure workers (a project expected to impact 7,000+ jobs across Southwest PA). In the electric utility sector, FirstEnergy committed to a $15 billion grid modernization across 56 Pennsylvania counties and is partnering with the IBEW union to broaden apprenticeship programs for electrical workers – steps that will support the power needs of new projects and create workforce openings. Here at home, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is already gearing up to align education with industry: IUP will host an August 7th workshop on the Homer City project’s economic and workforce impact, helping local educators prepare students for the coming high-tech jobs. These efforts ensure that Indiana County’s workforce and small businesses can actively participate in – and benefit from – the energy and innovation boom.

Policy makers at the summit also highlighted supportive policies and funding to speed these investments. The event was a bipartisan affair, with leaders including Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick vowing to help cut red tape and secure resources for projects. Gov. Shapiro noted that his administration will collaborate closely with the companies to get “shovels in the ground” quickly while upholding health and safety standards. This pro-development climate, combined with streamlined permitting, bodes well for Indiana County’s plans – the Homer City project is already moving through state and federal approvals, with first turbines expected in 2026 and power generation by 2027. Summit announcements about infrastructure investments, such as pipeline expansions to boost gas supply and major grid upgrades to support new data centers, align with Indiana County’s needs to modernize local infrastructure for growth.

Local leaders see this moment as a catalyst for regional collaboration and long-term growth. Indiana County has engaged partners across the region – through its Chamber of Commerce and institutions like IUP – to capitalize on these opportunities. State Senator Joe Pittman noted that the Homer City development is “great news not just for Indiana County, but for our entire region and our commonwealth,” underscoring the broader economic ripple effect expected. By collaborating with neighboring counties and tapping state and federal support, Indiana County can amplify the summit’s impact – attracting related industries, securing infrastructure improvements, and ensuring the benefits of this energy-tech investment wave are felt community-wide. For the county’s business community and public officials, the takeaway from the Energy & Innovation Summit is clear: Indiana County is poised to play a key role in Pennsylvania’s emerging energy and AI economy, and there are immediate avenues for local engagement – from bidding on supply contracts to launching training programs – that will help translate these big investments into lasting prosperity at home.