Trump to Address Innovation Conference in Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH — This afternoon, President Trump is set to speak at a significant innovation conference in Pennsylvania.
Having won the Rust Belt swing state on November 5th after a close call with an assassination attempt near Steel City, Trump is now defending over 12 corporate commitments totaling more than $1 billion, which have been organized by Sen. Dave McCormick.
“We’re going to Pittsburgh,” the president remarked to reporters earlier today. “There’s a huge investment coming.”
McCormick, a Republican and former hedge fund CEO, has rallied a group of companies aiming to transform Pennsylvania into a hub for artificial intelligence while enhancing its energy production capabilities and moving beyond its industrial image to compete more effectively with tech regions like Northern Virginia.
As highlighted in a release from McCormick’s office, the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit is taking place at Carnegie Mellon University.
In the meantime, Google has invested $25 billion in the U.S. over the past two years to build AI infrastructure and data centers. This includes a plan to renovate two hydroelectric power plants in Pennsylvania, which will support local AI data operations.
First Energy has promised $15 billion to improve its electric grid distribution, while Homer City has committed to purchasing $15 billion’s worth of locally sourced natural gas for a power plant that serves 1,000 people in rural Pennsylvania.
PA Data Center Partners and Powerhouse Data Center are collaborating on a $15 billion three-campus data center hub near Carlisle, in southern Pennsylvania. Similarly, AI cloud company CoreWeave plans to invest $6 billion in a new facility in Lancaster, located in the southeast region of the state.
Additionally, PPL Corporation is putting $6.8 billion into upgrading grid capacity, and Capital Power is investing $3 billion to expand gas facilities, according to McCormick’s office.
“Pennsylvania is in a prime position to provide abundant, affordable energy that supports the growth of AI and advanced manufacturing,” the senator asserted in a recent statement.
He continued, “We have a skilled workforce capable of establishing and operating a world-class university that will drive this essential infrastructure.”
“Working alongside President Trump and our business leaders, we’re eager to usher in a new era of industrial growth that can help solidify America’s energy dominance and create job opportunities for working families throughout Pennsylvania,” McCormick added.
Already a leading energy producer owing to the natural gas fracking boom, Pennsylvania is home to esteemed universities that educate many tech innovators, such as Carnegie Mellon in the West and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. McCormick’s initiatives arise as electricity suppliers are working to enhance power lines across West Maryland to support Virginia’s data centers.
This new investment strategy aligns with the president’s goal to establish America as a leader in AI, particularly in contrast to China.
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating policies that act as hurdles to progress.
Notably, Amazon has unveiled plans for a $20 billion investment in Pennsylvania data centers, alongside a $14 billion partnership involving U.S. and Japanese steel companies.
