AWS is building a massive 36-building, 1,100-acre data center campus in Pennsylvania — Homer City Energy Campus will create around 1,500-2,000 jobs and be powered by natural gas

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has unveiled plans for a massive 36-building, 1,100-acre data center campus in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, known as the Homer City Energy Campus. The project will replace a decommissioned 2GW coal-fired power station with a new 4.5GW natural gas generation facility, aiming to power the computing infrastructure while supplying excess electricity to Pennsylvania's grid. Construction is expected to create between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs, with average annual salaries ranging from $80,000 to $100,000. The campus will span six sites across Center and Blacklick townships, featuring 36 buildings each with two floors, standing 70 feet tall and offering approximately 225,000 square feet of space. Construction will proceed in four stages, beginning in December 2026, with the final stage starting in January 2032, and full completion scheduled for June 2036. Each data center building will be strategically integrated with the adjacent natural gas plant developed by Homer City Redevelopment, ensuring dedicated power supply for AWS operations. The initiative forms part of AWS's broader strategy to expand data center capacity across Pennsylvania, complementing existing and planned projects in Salem, Falls, and Kline townships. Beyond the physical infrastructure, AWS has committed to a community benefits agreement designed to mitigate local impacts and deliver measurable benefits to residents. The company recently announced it would discontinue mandatory non-disclosure agreements for data center projects and pledged an additional $1 billion toward nationwide community investments. The Homer City site previously housed Pennsylvania's largest coal-fired power station, which operated from 1969 until its closure in 2023, marking a significant shift toward gas-powered computing infrastructure in the region. Financing for the project is supported by Knighthead Capital Management, and the development underscores AWS's growing footprint in the eastern United States. By transitioning the site from coal to natural gas, the campus represents a notable energy transition for the region while supporting the rising demand for cloud and AI infrastructure. The project also aligns with AWS's broader commitments to renewable energy and carbon reduction goals across its global data center network.