AWS plans 36-building data center campus in Pennsylvania as a massive gas plant powers its decade-long expansion project | Daily Reports Online
- AWS plans 36 data centers across 1,100 acres in Pennsylvania
- Homer City is replacing a 2GW coal station with gas-powered computing infrastructure
- The AWS campus will stretch across six sites in Indiana County
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has filed plans for a 36-building data center development spanning 1,100 acres in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
The Homer City Energy Campus will rely mainly on a new 4.5GW natural gas generation facility being developed alongside the project.
AWS expects the development to create between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs, with average annual salaries ranging from $80,000 to $100,000.
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A huge campus backed by natural gas
The planned complex will sit across six areas in Center and Blacklick townships, roughly 50 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Each of the 36 data center buildings will contain two floors, reach 70 feet, and provide approximately 225,000 square feet.
AWS also plans offices, storage facilities, electrical substations, security infrastructure, and additional generation equipment supporting the large computing operation.
Construction is scheduled across four stages, beginning in December 2026, with the final stage scheduled to start during January 2032.
The entire campus is currently scheduled for completion by June 2036, meaning construction will continue for nearly another decade.
The electricity supply will come from a 4.5GW gas plant being developed by Homer City Redevelopment specifically alongside the wider project.
Most electricity generated there will serve AWS, although more than 1GW is expected to flow into Pennsylvania’s electricity network.
The site previously housed a 2GW coal station that operated from 1969 until its closure in 2023, which was Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power station, making the planned development a major change in the site’s energy use.
Knighthead Capital Management is providing financing support as AWS develops the new computing campus and its associated infrastructure.
AWS has committed to a community benefits agreement intended to address local effects and provide measurable benefits for residents.
Amazon has also pledged approximately $20 billion toward Pennsylvania investments across several data center developments currently under consideration.
The Homer City project is part of AWS’s wider effort to build additional data center capacity across Pennsylvania, with several developments at different stages.
In Salem Township, AWS acquired an existing data center and approximately 1,200 acres beside Talen Energy’s nuclear facility after pursuing the area since early 2024.
The company had considered developing as many as 15 buildings there, while separate proposals have also emerged in Falls and Kline townships.
These projects show how AWS is pursuing multiple Pennsylvania locations rather than relying on a single large campus for its regional expansion.
That expansion is also occurring alongside changes in how AWS communicates about its data center developments and their effects on surrounding communities.
The company recently said it would stop requiring non-disclosure agreements for these projects and committed another $1 billion toward community investments nationwide.
Homer City therefore adds another major Pennsylvania development to AWS’s expanding network of data center projects.
Via DCD
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