How 1,800 workers are powering Pennsylvania's data innovation campus

HOMER CITY, Pennsylvania — Eighteen months ago, Shawn Steffee stood in a field in Indiana County and watched the smokestacks of Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power plant fold into a cloud of dust, then told anyone who would listen that the wreckage was not a funeral.

How 1,800 workers are powering Pennsylvania's data innovation campus

TL;DR

  • The Homer City Energy Campus project is currently employing over 1,800 direct-hire tradespeople and skilled contractors.
  • The project is expected to create over 10,000 construction jobs and approximately 1,000 permanent positions.
  • Roughly 95% of the current workforce is local, representing nine different union organizations.
  • The project is described as a promise kept to create real opportunities for local workers and their families.
  • Workers are engaged in constructing the largest natural gas-powered plant currently under development in the United States.
  • The project is seen as a model for partnership between the business community and local labor unions, strengthening regional economic growth.
  • Unlike other data center projects facing state-level scrutiny, Homer City's energy campus has secured its air permit and is proceeding with construction.
  • The influx of workers is revitalizing local businesses and bringing a sense of hope to the community of Homer City.