A proposed 3,200-acre campus to power Pennsylvania’s growing data centers hotbed with natural gas just cleared a major state environmental hurdle.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an air quality permit to Homer City Generation yesterday, clearing the way for construction of what could become one of the nation’s largest gas-fired power plants.
The department originally projected a decision on the permit by August 2026, 285 days from the application date, and made it in just 157 days. As the commonwealth prioritizes fast-tracked permits, the accelerated process is a win for developers — but environmental groups opposed to the plan say that carbon and toxic air pollution from the site could harm nearby residents.
“This was not an unexpected [decision],” Alex Bomstein, executive director of the Clean Air Council, told Technical.ly soon after the decision was released. “However, the speed with which DEP rushed this permit through, especially given the magnitude of the pollution and the number of people who are going to die because of it, is troubling.”
The proposed $10 billion project for the Homer City Energy Campus would redevelop a former coal-burning power plant site in Indiana County to deliver up to 4.4 gigawatts for the on-site data centers and local homes, according to the Homer City Redevelopment group. It is currently looking for clients to move into the future data center facilities.
Despite project leads touting economic wins, environmental groups argue that air pollution from the power plant will exacerbate the climate crisis, and the data centers will drive up the cost of electricity.
Homer City Redevelopment did not respond to multiple requests to comment on the project or the recently issued permit.
The company said in the past that the project’s gas turbines will cut emissions by up to 65% compared to the former coal plant and that the campus will be a major economic opportunity for Indiana County.
It projects over 10,000 temporary construction jobs and roughly 1,000 permanent positions in energy and tech once the campus is operational, but has not released more details about what those roles would look like.
Communities speak up about the project
Over 500 public comments were submitted during the public comment period for the permit, including concerns about a rushed process and a lack of community engagement.
Residents, especially in rural areas, have spoken out about data centers because of pollution, stress on the groundwater and high energy usage.
When asked about the decision, DEP pointed to its public comment responses. By issuing the permit, the agency is confirming the proposed project adheres to air quality requirements and will use the best available technology to mitigate environmental concerns.
Despite possible gains, the Clean Air Council said the potential noise, odor and compromised drinking water from the data center campus would mean minimal return benefits for the surrounding community.
“This illegal permit is a death sentence for many of those who will breathe its toxic fumes in Indiana County and across the nation,” Bomstein said. “Rushed-through, riddled with errors and for what? It’s not to keep our lights on. It’s for New York hedge fund investors and for tech billionaires to get rich off of technology designed to lay people off.”
