Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

July 17, 2025

A New Era for Pennsylvania: Reflections on the Inaugural Energy and Innovation Summit

This past Tuesday, July 15, I had the privilege of attending the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.

The event was a bold step toward positioning Pennsylvania as a global leader in energy and artificial intelligence (AI), and it delivered on its promise to spark meaningful conversations about the future of innovation, economic growth and national security. With President Donald J. Trump headlining the summit, alongside a roster of top CEOs, government officials, and labor leaders, the day was nothing short of electrifying. Here are my key takeaways from this historic gathering.

The summit’s most striking outcome was the announcement of over $90 billion in private-sector investments in Pennsylvania’s energy and AI sectors. Industry giants like Blackstone, CoreWeave and Amazon signal a transformative economic boom for the Keystone State. 

For instance, Blackstone pledged $25 billion for data centers and gas-fired energy projects, while CoreWeave committed up to $6 billion for a data center in Lancaster and Amazon is investing $20 billion for data center campuses in Luzerne and Bucks counties.

These investments are expected to create tens of thousands of construction jobs and thousands of permanent positions, underscoring Pennsylvania’s potential to lead the AI revolution while bolstering its economy.

What struck me most was the palpable sense of urgency and opportunity in the room. Sen. McCormick framed these investments as a path to “jumpstart Pennsylvania’s economy; create great, new jobs; and bolster our national security.” The scale of these commitments reflects a shared belief that Pennsylvania’s vast natural gas reserves, skilled workforce and proximity to major population centers make it the ideal hub for powering the energy-intensive demands of AI data centers.

The summit also emphasized Pennsylvania’s unique position in the energy landscape. As the second-largest energy-producing state with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, Pennsylvania is poised to meet the soaring energy demands of the AI era.

Speakers, including U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, highlighted the state’s abundant natural gas and nuclear resources, calling them critical to achieving American energy dominance.

Sen. McCormick noted that co-locating data centers near energy sources like the Marcellus Shale reduces infrastructure costs and enhances efficiency—a “secret sauce” for Pennsylvania’s competitive edge.

The recipe for that secret sauce was used locally just this year, when Upper Burrell’s TECfusions acquired 1,395 acres, including the former Alcoa R&D campus, to build a 3-gigawatt (GW) natural gas-powered data center called Keystone Connect. It will utilize gas wells on property owned by EQT Corp. With $150 million already invested and a $2 million state grant, the project will create thousands of jobs over six years, with 12 MW available immediately, revitalizing a historic industrial site through adaptive reuse.

However, the focus wasn’t solely on fossil fuels. Constellation’s commitment to billions in nuclear energy projects, including an accelerated restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center in Dauphin County by 2027, underscored the role of clean, reliable energy in powering innovation. This blend of traditional and nuclear energy solutions reflects a pragmatic approach to meeting AI’s massive power needs while addressing environmental concerns.

Beyond energy, the summit tackled the broader implications of the AI revolution, particularly for education and workforce development. Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian and Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe emphasized the need to create diverse educational pathways, beyond traditional four-year degrees. Doing so makes certain our workforce, from community college graduates to vocational trainees, will experience all the benefits of this technology boom.  

Energy and AI are critical to national security as mentioned by several speakers. Sen. McCormick and President Trump stressed the need to outpace competitors like China in the AI race, with McCormick calling it “a competition we have to win.” The strategic importance of domestic energy production and AI infrastructure was a recurring theme, with leaders arguing that energy independence strengthens America’s global standing.

As I left the summit, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d witnessed a pivotal moment for Pennsylvania.

The convergence of energy, AI, and bipartisan leadership felt like the start of a new era—one where the Keystone State could reclaim its legacy as an industrial and technological powerhouse. Sen. McCormick’s vision, backed by President Trump and a coalition of global leaders, has set the stage for Pennsylvania to lead not just in energy production but in shaping the future of innovation.

The challenge now is to maintain this momentum. If Pennsylvania can harness its resources, workforce and bipartisan will, it could indeed become the epicenter of the AI and energy revolution. As Sen. McCormick said, “There’s no better place than Pennsylvania to lead the next revolution in energy, technology and artificial intelligence.” After attending the summit, I’m inclined to agree—but the work is just beginning.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
 
Mark Your Calendars for August Town Hall Events - Want to hear more about all that is happening in Harrisburg and in the 55th district? Please join me at one of my upcoming town halls scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 14, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Lazarus' Tomb Coffee House, located at 1821 5th Ave. in Arnold, and Wednesday, Aug. 20, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Aluminum City Terrace Activity Center, located at Aluminum City Terrace in New Kensington. If you can’t make it, more town halls will be scheduled in the coming months! 
 
Know Before You Go! - Whether you are heading out on a summer road trip or simply going to work or to run an errand, you can find out if your route is clear simply by checking 511PA!
 
511PA is part of a statewide travel information service which provides reliable traffic, weather and transit information to travelers to reduce congestion, and improve safety and mobility in Pennsylvania. 511PA uses real-time traffic data from various sources throughout the state to give all the latest updates. 
 
Information is available through 511PA by dialing 5-1-1 from any phone or by visiting 511PA.com on your computer or mobile device. You may also follow any of the 511PA regional X (formerly Twitter) pages. 511PA tweets include news releases and traffic advisories, along with all traffic and construction events on the 511PA network in that region. You can access these regional pages from the X link on the 511PA web page.
 
Applications Open for Cultural and Historical Support Grants - The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is now accepting applications for its Cultural and Historical Support Grants program, which provides funding to eligible museums and official county historical societies in the Commonwealth. 
 
Applications must be submitted by midnight on Friday, Aug. 22. For detailed eligibility information and grant guidelines, visit pa.gov and perform a search for “Cultural and Historical Support Grants.”



Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper