AI Powers Up: $90B Data Center Boom Hits Pennsylvania

Artificial intelligence might be a marvel of software, but its insatiable appetite for electricity and server power is strictly hardware. As AI models grow more complex and widespread, they demand robust infrastructure—which means data centers, and lots of them. These energy-hungry digital engines must run 24/7 and consume staggering amounts of power. According to a 2024 U.S. Department of Energy report, data centers already account for over 4% of national electricity usage, a figure expected to triple by 2028. With that backdrop, it’s no surprise that the Inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit became the focal point for over $90 billion in announced AI and energy infrastructure investments.

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Hosted at Carnegie Mellon University and organized by Sen. Dave McCormick, the summit attracted industry heavyweights and political powerbrokers. Originally expected to generate $70 billion in deals, the total ballooned to $90 billion as the week unfolded. President Trump attended alongside six cabinet members and a who’s-who of tech and energy executives, signaling bipartisan alignment on the strategic importance of AI infrastructure.

Among the splashiest announcements was Amazon Web Services’ $20 billion investment to build hyperscale data centers in Pennsylvania, including one near the Susquehanna nuclear plant. CoreWeave pledged up to $6 billion for a next-gen AI data center in Lancaster. Google took the grid game further, committing $25 billion across the PJM power region and securing a groundbreaking 3GW hydropower deal with Brookfield. Blackstone joined the party with a $25 billion joint venture focused on data centers and power generation in Northeast Pennsylvania.

The summit also spotlighted the expanding role of colocation and interconnect providers. Digital Realty, Equinix, TierPoint, EdgeConnex, and others already operate facilities in Pennsylvania’s tech corridors like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and King of Prussia. These firms stand to benefit from increased demand for edge computing, redundancy, and scalable rack space as hyperscalers pour capital into the region.

Infrastructure and power supply were major themes. With AI workloads placing unprecedented strain on electric grids, the state is seeing renewed investment in grid modernization and generation capacity. FirstEnergy announced $15 billion for grid upgrades, while a $10 billion gas-fired conversion of the Homer City coal plant aims to support next-gen data center load.

Politically, the summit represents a new industrial strategy where AI leadership and energy independence are treated as twin national security priorities. Sen. McCormick’s framing of Pennsylvania as the nexus of this convergence drew applause from both red and blue leaders, with Gov. Josh Shapiro participating in a bipartisan investment panel.

As demand for AI accelerates, so does the urgency to build the foundational infrastructure. Pennsylvania’s abundance of energy resources, skilled labor, and proximity to population centers gives it a strategic edge. From hyperscale campuses to colocation hubs and hydroelectric PPAs, the Keystone State is positioning itself to power the next wave of AI innovation—literally and figuratively.

With political star power, industry cash, and a grid-straining technology at the center of it all, the summit marked a defining moment in how the U.S. plans to lead the AI revolution—one megawatt at a time.