AI Boom Brings Billions to PA—and Big Questions

Billions of dollars are heading to Pennsylvania as the state positions itself to become a national hub for artificial intelligence development. At the heart of the plan: massive new data centers—and the natural gas power plants needed to keep them running.

In Northeast PA alone, utility giant PPL and investment firm Blackstone are planning $25 billion worth of energy and infrastructure projects, fueling both hopes for economic growth and concerns about environmental impacts.

With many details still unclear—including exactly where new power stations might be built—questions are growing about what this AI-powered future could mean for local communities.
Joining us now to help unpack the story is Liam Mayo, reporter with The River Reporter, who’s been following the developments.

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