Homer City Energy Campus Marks Major Milestone with “First Steel” Vertical Construction

The energy industry is watching closely as vertical construction officially begins at the Homer City Energy Campus, one of the largest natural gas-fired power projects currently underway in the United States.

Homer City Redevelopment LLC (HCR) announced the “first steel” milestone this week, signaling the transition from foundation work to above-ground building on the 3,200-acre site. The first permanent structure rising is the steel frame of the gas insulated switchgear (GIS) building, which will house high-voltage electrical equipment connecting the facility to the PJM grid.

The project is transforming the former Homer City Generating Station — Pennsylvania’s largest coal-fired power plant, which ceased operations in 2023 and was fully demolished — into a modern natural gas-powered energy and data center campus. Once complete, the 4.4-gigawatt facility will rank as the largest natural gas-powered plant in the country, delivering reliable power to support AI-driven hyperscale data centers while also feeding electricity to thousands of homes on the local grid.

Corey Hessen, CEO of Homer City Redevelopment LLC, said the milestone keeps the project on schedule and brings tangible progress for the region.

“As we begin vertical construction, today’s milestone sets us on schedule and continues the journey to delivering new economic opportunities to Indiana County, the state of Pennsylvania, and beyond,” Hessen stated. “In this new phase, our neighbors and partners will begin to see the physical dimension and scale of our project.”

Powering America’s Digital Future with Natural Gas

The campus will feature seven high-efficiency GE Vernova 7HA.02 hydrogen-enabled gas-fired turbines, with the first units expected to arrive later this year. Construction is being led by Kiewit Power Constructors Co., a top-tier EPC contractor.

Natural gas supply is locked in through an exclusive partnership with EQT Corporation, one of the largest U.S. producers. The agreement provides up to 665,000 MMBTUs per day — one of the largest single-site natural gas commitments in North American history — drawing from the Texas Eastern and Eastern Gas Transmission systems.

The project is expected to create thousands of craft labor jobs at peak construction and approximately 1,000 direct and indirect permanent positions in energy, operations, and technology once operational. Startup is targeted for 2027–2028.

A New Chapter for Pennsylvania Energy

Located about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh in Indiana County, the site has deep roots in Pennsylvania’s energy history. The redevelopment keeps the location productive while shifting to cleaner, more efficient natural gas technology that supports surging electricity demand from data centers and high-performance computing.

This is exactly the kind of large-scale, shovel-ready infrastructure project that underscores the critical role of American natural gas in meeting today’s energy needs — powering innovation, creating jobs, and keeping the lights on for homes, businesses, and the next generation of technology.

The Crude Life will continue to follow this story as steel continues to rise and the first turbines make their way to the site. Stay tuned for updates on construction progress, workforce needs, and what this means for the oil and gas community in the Appalachian Basin and beyond.