Ground broken on a Rust Belt powerhouse: Shippingport’s data hub rises in the age of AI anxiety
Aligned Data Centers has broken ground on Project Phoenix, a 2-gigawatt AI campus, in Shippingport, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, on the site of a former coal plant. The project will use a dedicated natural gas power source and a closed-loop water cooling system. This development proceeds amidst growing public opposition to data centers in Pennsylvania, with a proposed statewide moratorium, though Shippingport welcomes the economic boost.
Aligned Data Centers has officially broken ground on Project Phoenix, a 2-gigawatt artificial intelligence campus, in Shippingport, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The $10 billion, three-building complex is being built on the 660-acre footprint of the former Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant, which closed in 2019. This development marks a significant transformation for Shippingport, a borough that has seen its population and tax base decline since the closure of both the Shippingport Atomic Power Station and the Bruce Mansfield plant.
The project is designed to power AI models, utilizing a dedicated onsite natural gas energy campus being rebuilt at the former Shippingport Power Station site. This onsite generation will feed the servers directly, with surplus electricity potentially returning to the PJM grid. For cooling, Aligned will implement a closed-loop system that recycles deionized water, which the company states will result in a water footprint comparable to a standard commercial office building. Shippingport Mayor John Erickson views Project Phoenix as a continuation of the borough's legacy as an energy provider, now pivoting to modern innovation.
However, the project is proceeding within a broader context of increasing public anxiety and opposition to AI and data center development across Pennsylvania. A recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated that a significant majority of Pennsylvanians would oppose an AI data center in their community, citing concerns over noise, water usage, air quality, property values, and electricity costs. State Senator Katie Muth has even introduced legislation for a three-year moratorium on hyperscale data center builds, and PJM is grappling with how to manage the projected doubling of data center load on the grid.
Despite statewide opposition, Shippingport, a small borough with only 154 residents, largely welcomes the project, viewing the 3,000 construction jobs, 640 permanent operations careers, and increased tax revenue as an economic revitalization after decades of industrial decline. The article highlights the nuanced reality, where local communities like Shippingport may prioritize economic benefits while a larger societal debate about the impact and governance of AI infrastructure unfolds.