Several residents showed up to an Indiana County commissioners meeting this week to voice concerns about transparency and environmental impact tied to a possible Amazon Web Services data center campus planned for the region. The commenters spoke out against the potential artificial-intelligence data centers during the meeting, according to WCCS AM1160 & 101.1FM, as officials weigh a project that could reshape thousands of acres in Center and Blacklick townships.
AWS is evaluating roughly 2,200 acres across six sites in the two townships, with plans to build 39 two-story data centers, each about 70 feet long, over a 10-year construction timeline, according to Cat Country 106.3. The company plans to start construction at the Rura site before expanding to the remaining properties. The Indiana County Planning Commission was also set to discuss potential data-center sites at a 5 p.m. meeting, per the same WCCS report.
AWS has pitched the project as an economic boon, projecting 1,500 to 2,000 permanent jobs with average annual salaries between $80,000 and $100,000. The company has pledged not to request local or county tax incentives and has offered to cover all costs for the new electrical infrastructure the campus would require, according to Cat Country's report. AWS has also offered a Community Benefits Agreement intended to address impacts on the surrounding community.
A Campus Tied to Homer City's Rebirth
The data center proposal is linked to the redevelopment of the former Homer City coal plant, which is being converted into a 4.5-gigawatt natural gas-powered energy campus. As of September, more than 1,800 union tradespeople were actively working on-site, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Homer City Generating Station, once Pennsylvania's largest coal plant, was retired in July 2023 before its transformation into the energy hub now underpinning the data center plan.
Hoodline previously reported that the overall Homer City energy and data center redevelopment represents an estimated $20 billion project, making it the single largest development among more than $30.5 billion in active mega-construction projects across the Pittsburgh region this year. It's a scale that dwarfs other major regional undertakings, including lock-and-dam overhauls and hospital tower expansions detailed in Hoodline's prior Pittsburgh construction coverage.
Non-Disclosure Agreements Fuel Backlash
Public frustration in Indiana County has been compounded by reporting on how the project has been handled behind closed doors. Nearly half of Pennsylvania's municipalities involved in fast-track AI data centers have signed nondisclosure agreements, according to the PA Environment Digest. Some advocates and residents have criticized secrecy agreements.
The project's development process has been the subject of reporting.
Statewide Energy and Tax Debates Loom Large
The Indiana County fight is unfolding against a broader statewide reckoning over data centers' energy appetite. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has forecast that data center energy demand will drive industrial electricity usage across the commonwealth up by 18.56% annually through 2030, compared with just 0.22% annual growth recorded in 2024, according to the PA Environment Digest Blog. The broader debate includes questions about how the grid will accommodate the surge in hyperscale facilities.
In response to that pressure, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order directing the state Department of Environmental Protection to incorporate GRID requirements into its permitting process and limiting which data-center applications the agency reviews, according to a statement from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The order is meant to protect ratepayers while allowing investment.
Lawmakers in Harrisburg have separately debated data-center tax policy amid reporting about a $1.8 billion tax break, according to Spotlight PA. The issue has drawn attention in the Pennsylvania legislature.
Part of a Larger Amazon Push in Pennsylvania
The Indiana County proposal fits into Amazon's much larger footprint in the state. AWS has expanded its cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Pennsylvania, TribLIVE reported. State officials have previously touted that expansion as the largest private-sector investment commitment in Pennsylvania history, a claim Hoodline detailed when AWS first announced its statewide expansion, including a site near a nuclear plant.
The Indiana County proposal is part of a broader debate over Amazon's data center ambitions.
Local Business Amid the Bigger Debate
Away from the data center debate, the Indiana County commissioners also approved a $342,000 contract this week to demolish the carriage house and office building on Oakland Avenue, according to WCCS. Ritenour and Sons Construction Company, based in Connellsville, received the contract, with the demolition work expected to be completed by December.
