(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump and many major companies announced more than $90 billion in investments in data centers, energy infrastructure and workforce training at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit on Tuesday, marking what organizers called the “largest private investment commitment in the state’s history.”
Hosted by Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., the conference was held at Carnegie Mellon University as Pennsylvania leaders hope to turn the city of Pittsburgh into a hub for energy, robotics and AI.
Energy has been a major issue for Trump, who has pledged “dominance” in the market. Trump has eschewed clean energy investments, such as wind and solar, instead focusing on a return to coal, an industry with a long history in the state.
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“Today’s commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be design-built and made right here in Pennsylvania, right here in Pittsburgh, and I have to say right here in the United States of America,” Trump said.
McCormick said the state’s position as the nation’s second-largest energy producer and nuclear power leader makes it uniquely positioned for the energy and AI revolution.
“Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to deliver the abundant, affordable energy that growing AI and advanced manufacturing sectors demand,” McCormick said. “We have the skilled workforce to build and operate this critical infrastructure.”
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What are the major AI and energy investments?
Blackstone announced the largest single commitment with a $25 billion investment in data center and energy infrastructure development in northeast Pennsylvania. The investment includes a joint venture with PPL Corporation for power generation and is expected to create 6,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent positions.
CoreWeave committed $6 billion to develop a data center in Lancaster capable of generating up to 300 megawatts of power, creating 600 construction jobs and 175 full-time operational positions.
First Energy pledged $15 billion to expand power distribution and strengthen grid infrastructure across 56 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, partnering with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to expand apprenticeship programs.
Constellation Energy announced a $2.4 billion investment to upgrade the Limerick nuclear power plant, creating 3,000 jobs per year and adding 340 megawatts of power capacity contingent on customer commitments.
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Frontier Group plans to invest $3.2 billion to convert the former Bruce Mansfield coal plant into a natural gas power station in Shippingport, creating 15,000 construction jobs and over 300 permanent positions.
Westinghouse Electric Company is working toward having 10 new large nuclear power plant reactors under construction by 2030, generating an estimated $6 billion in economic impact and 15,000 jobs in southwest Pennsylvania.
Google announced a 20-year deal with Brookfield to repower two hydropower facilities, generating 670 megawatts of power. The company also launched “AI Works for PA,” offering free training for a million Pennsylvania small businesses and Pittsburgh residents.
Anthropic committed $1 million over three years to support cybersecurity education for middle and high school students through the PicoCTF program and another $1 million for energy research at Carnegie Mellon University.
The Energy Innovation Center Infrastructure Academy plans to build a regional training facility for energy and AI infrastructure workers, potentially impacting more than 7,000 jobs across southwest Pennsylvania.
Here is the full list of investments.
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Who attended the summit?
The list of participating CEOs included leaders from global behemoths like Blackstone, SoftBank, Amazon Web Services, BlackRock and ExxonMobil as well as local companies such as Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics, which deploys AI to bolster energy capacity.
Administration officials speaking at the summit include White House crypto czar David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Other government officials included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Pennsylvania leaders attending included Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Senate leaders Joe Pittman and Kim Ward and members of the congressional delegation.
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Why is Pennsylvania so important for energy?
In addition to Carnegie Mellon’s renowned engineering school, Pittsburgh is also home to a natural gas reservoir and a growing number of small robotics firms and AI offices.
The area is also home to U.S. Steel, which was recently acquired by Nippon Steel for nearly $15 billion in a deal approved by Trump after the company pledged to invest billions in area plants.
Amazon has also promised to build two data center complexes in Pennsylvania to the tune of $20 billion, and Microsoft has said it will spend $1.6 billion to open a single functional nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island to supply power for data centers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
