DEP Receives Act 2 Land Recycling Notice On Former Cheswick Power Plant To Be Converted To Springdale A.I. Data Center In Allegheny County

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has published notice that it has received an Act 2 Land Recycling Program notice for the former Cheswick Power Plant site in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The approximately 56-acre site will be converted into a Springdale AI data center by data center company CoreWeave. Investigations have identified soil and groundwater contamination at the site, which will need to be addressed as part of the redevelopment project under the Act 2 program. Residents have protested the planned AI data center, holding an invite-only meeting with Washington County Commissioners and developer representatives. The University of Scranton will be hosting an in-person program on March 30 to discuss how AI data centers are reshaping Pennsylvania's energy landscape. Additionally, Penn State Extension is hosting a webinar on March 31 titled "AI Data Centers in Pennsylvania Part 2 - Why Here? Why Now?" These upcoming events indicate ongoing public interest and debate around the growth of AI-focused data centers in the state.