Essential Utilities Partners with International Electric Power III to Develop 1,400 Acre Data Center in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Essential Utilities has agreed with International Electric Power III, LLC to invest in a 1,400-acre data center facility in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Essential's subsidiary Aqua will design, build, and operate an 18 MGD water treatment plant to service the power plant and data center. Peoples, Essential's natural gas utility, will provide gas consultancy and energy management services. The data center will be powered by 944 MW of behind-the-meter natural gas combined cycle combustion turbines. The project is expected to be operational in Q1 2029.

Essential Utilities, Inc. has agreed with International Electric Power III, LLC to invest in a 1,400-acre data center facility in Greene County, Pennsylvania. This project, valued at $24 million, will involve the construction of an 18 million gallons per day (MGD) water treatment plant by Essential's subsidiary Aqua. The water treatment plant will service both the power plant and the data center, utilizing raw water from the nearby Monongahela River [1].

Peoples, Essential's natural gas utility subsidiary, will provide gas consultancy and energy management services to the project. The data center will be powered by 944 MW of behind-the-meter natural gas combined cycle combustion turbines, supported by battery storage and an existing grid connection. The project is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2029 [2].

The partnership between Essential Utilities and International Electric Power III is part of a growing trend in the sector, with developers increasingly seeking behind-the-meter arrangements to power their data centers. This trend is driven by the need for sustainable and reliable energy sources to support the growth of data centers, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence [3].

Essential Utilities serves approximately 5.5 million people across nine states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. The company's investment in the Greene County data center project highlights its commitment to leveraging its expertise in water and natural gas to support the growth of data centers [1].

References:
[1] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/essential-utilities-to-invest-26m-in-pennsylvania-data-center-project-ce7c50dedc89ff27
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4489547-essential-utilities-to-invest-in-greene-county-data-center-project
[3] https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/essential-utilities-invests-24m-into-planned-944mw-behind-the-meter-data-center-in-greene-county-pennsylvania/