The Homer City project shows how the AI and data center boom is reshaping fossil fuel infrastructure in Pennsylvania. A site once defined by coal is now being redeveloped around fracked gas-fired power for energy-intensive computing. FracTracker’s aerial imagery helps document that transition on the ground, showing the scale of construction, demolition, and land use changes that can be difficult to grasp from permit filings or project announcements alone.
Update (Jan. 6, 2025): This article was updated to incorporate more records that were obtained for 2015-2017. In addition to the updated figures, FracTracker Alliance would also like to make readers aware of the “Daily Accident Report” started by Save Ohio Parks as a result of this issue.
Overview
On April 1, 2026, FracTracker visited the former Homer City Generating Station in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, to document the early construction of the Homer City Energy Campus, a massive fracked gas-powered AI and high-performance computing development planned for the site of what was once Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power plant. The visit coincided with HCR’s announcement of “first steel,” marking the start of vertical construction at the site.
The project is planned for more than 3,200 acres and is expected to be served by a roughly 4.5-gigawatt fracked gas-fired power facility. To put that in perspective, if a 4.5-gigawatt power plant ran at full output around the clock for a year, it would generate roughly as much electricity as 3.7 million average U.S. homes use annually. It is one of the biggest power stations currently in development, and on scale with the largest nuclear facility currently operating in the U.S. The facility will not necessarily operate at full capacity continuously, but the comparison helps illustrate the scale of the buildout.
FracTracker’s Western Program Director, drone operator, and thermographer Kyle Ferrar captured aerial imagery of the site, including demolition activity at the former coal plant.
“FracTracker’s audience has been asking for aerial imagery of data center development,” Kyle said. “A bird’s-eye view helps put the scale of these sites into perspective.”
During the flight, Kyle heard a loud blast from the direction of the site. He later contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and was told the blast was a “scheduled, permitted demolition blast.” “The before-and-after imagery is striking,” Kyle said.
Before the demolition on April 1, 2026
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After the demolition on April 1, 2026
Homer City and Pennsylvania’s Data Center Boom
Homer City is not the only largest data center project proposed in Pennsylvania, but it is one of the clearest examples of how the AI and data center boom is driving new demand for fossil fuel infrastructure. It is also emblematic of the megascale data center development now being promoted in Pennsylvania and nationally, including by Governor Shapiro and the Trump Administration, despite unresolved questions about air pollution, water demand, electricity demand, and continued reliance on fossil fuels.
FracTracker’s National Data Centers Tracker currently identifies dozens of proposed, operating, expanding, suspended, or canceled data center projects in Pennsylvania. Homer City stands out because of its proposed scale, dedicated gas-fired power generation, and organized community opposition.
FracTracker’s tracker focuses on hyperscale (>100 MW) and megascale (>1000 MW or 1 GW) data center development because these projects are most likely to drive major new demand for electricity, water, land, transmission infrastructure, and gas-fired generation.
Tip: Filter the Data Center Tracker by state to identify proposed, approved, operating, and canceled data center projects.
According to FracTracker’s National Data Centers Tracker, the Homer City project is classified as “Approved/Permitted/Under construction,” with a reported energy demand of roughly 4,500 MW, a 3,200-acre property footprint, natural gas as the power source, and organized community advocacy in response to the project. You can find this information about the Homer City Energy Campus, and more, when you click on its icon, seen below in green. To learn more about the data FracTracker collects on data center facilities, visit our Data Centers Data Dictionary or see our article here.
Construction of the Homer City Energy Campus is expected to conclude sometime in 2027.
What’s next?
FracTracker will continue to update our Data Center Photo Album with more data center development imagery as we are able. If you are looking for aerial imagery of a particular data center site, please let us know by reaching out to info@fractracker.org.
Help Improve the U.S. Data Centers Tracker
We need your help! Your input can ensure that FracTracker’s U.S. Data Centers Tracker reflects what’s actually happening in your community and helps others across the country learn from your victories.
Submit a missing data center or update a data center
Submit an example of resistance (wins, ordinances, moratoriums)
You can also reach out directly to glover@fractracker.org. We appreciate any contributions you’re willing to share.
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