Shamokin Dam gas plant to see $3 billion upgrade
Top executives in energy and AI, leading global investors, key representatives in labor and trade, and top government officials joined U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, and President Donald J. Trump Tuesday to announce over $90 billion of investments in data centers, energy and power infrastructure, and workforce and AI training projects.
According to a news release, the investments include Capital Power’s $3 billion investment over 10 years to upgrade and expand a gas facility in Shamokin Dam, including $2 billion of Pennsylvania gas purchases. More than 30 full-time jobs are expected to be created as a result of this investment.
“These commitments will create tens of thousands of construction jobs and thousands of permanent jobs, signaling Pennsylvania’s readiness to power the AI and energy revolution, further strengthening America’s resilience and independence,” the news release from McCormick’s office said.
Some of the other investments announced at Tuesday’s Energy and Innovation Summit include:
• Blackstone announced a $25 billion investment in data center and energy infrastructure development in Northeast Pennsylvania along with a new joint venture with PPL Corporation for power generation. This investment is expected to create 6,000 construction jobs along with 3,000 new permanent jobs.
• Brookfield announced a 20-year, $3 billion deal with Google to repower two hydropower facilities and generate 670 megawatts of power. Brookfield estimates 300 new jobs to be protected.
• Constellation Energy will create 3,000 jobs per year as a result of a $2.4 billion investment to uprate the Limerick nuclear power plant. As a result, Pennsylvania should receive an additional 340 megawatts of power capacity, contingent upon customer commitments.
• Enbridge will invest $1 billion to expand their gas pipelines into Pennsylvania with projects to be announced over the next six to 18 months.
• Equinor announced an investment of $1.6 billion, generating 1,000 direct and indirect jobs per year, to boost natural gas production at Equinor’s Pennsylvania facilities and explore opportunities to link gas to flexible power generation for data centers.
• First Energy will invest $15 billion to expand power distribution, strengthen grid infrastructure, and operate the enhanced grid, supporting 56 of the 67 Pennsylvania counties. In partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, First Energy will also expand an apprenticeship program, creating opportunities for more than 40 new hires across dozens of Pennsylvania’s counties.
• Google announced a new 20-year deal with Brookfield to repower two hydropower facilities, Safe Harbor Hydro Facility and Holtwood Hydro Facility, resulting in 670 megawatts of power generation to support the state. Google has also launched a new “AI Works for PA” initiative offering free training for one million Pennsylvania small businesses and Pittsburgh residents and awarded a grant to the electrical training ALLIANCE to training electrical workers and new apprentices using AI through an AI-integrated curriculum.
• PA Data Center Partners and Powerhouse Data Centers revealed plans to develop a $15 billion, 1.3 gigawatt, three-campus data center hub near Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
• PPL Corporation will invest $6.8 billion through 2028 to expand grid capacity and modernize transmission across multiple Pennsylvania counties to support the growing power demand of data centers. The projects are expected to create 3,400 new jobs in Pennsylvania. PPL also announced a joint venture with Blackstone to develop, own and operate combined-cycle gas generation capacity.
• TC Energy announced plans to invest $400 million to modernize its gas pipeline network in Pennsylvania.




