The Pittsburgh region is home to abundant natural resources and leading universities in the field. The combination is putting the region at the forefront to addressing the nation’s demand for AI power.
With the unprecedented demand for AI power being projected to increase to over 300 gigawatts by 2030, Pennsylvania stands poised for an AI boom to meet that demand.
Recently, it was announced that the former Homer City Generating Station will be redeveloped to become a natural gas-powered data center campus. The station was once the state’s largest coal-fired power plant.
The announcement moves the Pittsburgh region towards becoming a leading hub for artificial intelligence.
Homer City’s redevelopment will make the campus capable of generating up to 4.5 gigawatts, which is enough to power most of Manhattan. The power for the center will be sourced from the Marcellus Shale, which is the largest natural gas reserve in the country.
Along with Homer City’s transformation, leading educational institutions in the region are prioritizing developments in artificial intelligence that will bolster the area’s AI boom even more.
Carnegie Mellon University was home to the first AI computer program in 1956 and is currently the top-ranked university in the field.
More recently, the University of Pittsburgh has made significant medical and biomedical breakthroughs utilizing artificial intelligence.
The combination of research and innovation from the two Pittsburgh-based universities, coupled with the abundant natural gas resources in the region, make the Pittsburgh region the perfect place for an AI boom according to expert Joanna Doven.
Doven leads an AI Strike Team that has set a goal of attracting 100,000 tech jobs and additional AI companies to the region.
In a recent interview, Doven said, “Our roots here are building hard things – from steel to robotics – and they perfectly match the demands of this moment.”
“Those that lean into AI innovation will grow jobs and industries. Those that lean out will lose them,” she said.
The Pittsburgh region is well-equipped to be leaning into AI innovation.
With the Homer City redevelopment, the physical power will be sourced from the region with the brainpower coming from the nearby, world-class universities. The result will be a historic AI boom that will influence the Pittsburgh region, its economy, and the country for decades to come.
