Giant Gas Power Plant to Run PA Data Center
About 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, the Homer City Generating Station has been demolished. The former 2 GW coal burning plant was the largest in the nation. But in its place, the plant’s owner plans to turn the site into the country’s largest natural gas power plant. The new plant, which will power both an AI data center and the local grid, may go online in 2027. Some residents are welcoming the new plant, others are raising an eyebrow. And with PJM auction prices raising rates in June, Pennsylvania consumers wonder what it means for cheap electricity.
Largest Natural Gas Power Plant in the Nation
The planned natural gas power plant, dubbed the Homer City Energy Campus, is a huge project. Developers say it will be the largest natural gas power plant in the U.S. and third largest world wide. Projected to cost $10 billion dollars, the 3,200 acre site will generate up to 4.5 GW of power. That’s enough power for over 3 million homes.
Construction should begin this year. The costly electric transmission lines were left in place from the previous coal fired power plant. As a result, the plant could be online by 2027.
The Costs of Powering Data Centers
Developers plan to send some of the power to the PJM grid. However, developers want to serve multiple large data center customers on the site. But, with Pennsylvanians facing rising energy costs, this is raising some eyebrows. Increased energy demand, and reduced capacity, have led to soaring electricity rates across the state.
The implications of data center energy demand are staggering. As AI and data centers grow, so do their power demands. Data centers could suck up as much as 12% of the electricity generated in America by 2028. But while this power plant’s data center customers will be on site and “behind the meter”, the campus may need to expand its future power capacity. So, it could take a lot more land as well.
Save on PA Power
As data centers continue to expand, so to will their electricity demand. And with PJM price hikes on the way, you want to be certain that your bills won’t climb as well. So it’s best to lock in a long term low, fixed rate now. Thankfully, shopping with PA Energy Ratings to find the best energy supplier is easy! Compare rates, read reviews, and more. Just visit https://www.paenergyratings.com.