Trump announces historic $90 billion investment in Pennsylvania's energy and AI sectors
- President Trump unveiled plans for over $90 billion in investments during the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit.
- The initiative focuses on harnessing Pennsylvania's technological resources to cultivate a new AI economy, promising tens of thousands of jobs.
- The investments include retrofitting energy plants and enhancing the power grid, but face criticism regarding sustainability and community impact.
On July 16, 2025, President Donald Trump, along with leaders from major technology and energy companies, unveiled significant investments in Pennsylvania during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit held at Carnegie Mellon University. During the event, Trump highlighted a collective investment of more than $90 billion aimed at developing an artificial intelligence economy in the region, leveraging Pennsylvania's existing technological and energy resources. This ambitious initiative seeks to create tens of thousands of jobs and promote infrastructure that supports AI development, including data centers and energy innovation facilities. Among the notable commitments is a $15 billion retrofit of the Homer City power plant to natural gas, aimed at providing the necessary energy for the anticipated data centers that will support AI companies. Furthermore, FirstEnergy announced a significant investment of $15 billion to upgrade Pennsylvania's power grid to ensure reliable electricity transmission, vital for supporting industrial growth driven by AI. These measures underline the state’s focus on boosting energy production to facilitate the construction of data centers designed to fuel AI initiatives. The summit witnessed participation from high-profile cabinet members, creating an atmosphere of collaboration among public and private sectors. Significant technological resources available through regional universities and established companies, such as Westinghouse, bolster the promise of this development endeavor. Westinghouse further announced plans to construct 10 large nuclear reactors across the United States by 2030, with an expected economic impact of $6 billion locally and a total of $75 billion nationwide. This is significant not only for energy production but also for job creation, as the company aims to hire 15,000 new employees. However, not all responses to the summit were positive. Activists in Pittsburgh protested the focus on corporate interests over ecological sustainability and ethical considerations regarding AI technology. Despite the upbeat announcements, there were concerns that the decisions made during the summit should foster genuine long-term investment in the community rather than transient economic hype. Local leaders and entrepreneurs stressed the importance of maintaining investments in the region to cultivate an ecosystem that supports innovation and drives future growth.