Pennsylvania Data Center Projects: What's Coming and the Trades Contractors Need

Pennsylvania has more than 100 proposed data center projects, but only a few large campuses have started work. In western Pennsylvania, Aligned Data Centers broke ground on Project Phoenix in Beaver County on September 10, 2026, and the Homer City redevelopment in Indiana County began construction this year. For contractors, the labor question goes well beyond electricians: abatement and demolition crews, scaffold carpenters, mechanical insulators, fireproofers and coatings applicators are all needed on these campuses.

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026. Cruitfly is following the projects below. It is not working on them. "Not announced" means the information is not public yet. We will update this page as general contractors, tenants and schedules are named.

Which data center projects are planned in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection runs a public data center permit tracker, which showed at least 100 proposed projects when it launched in August 2026. Most have not formally started state permitting, and a consultant on the Springdale project told TribLive there is "more speculation than reality". These are the projects with enough public detail for a contractor to plan around:

Which data centers are under construction near Pittsburgh?

Two large sites in the region have started work. Project Phoenix is a planned 2-gigawatt, three-facility campus next to the old Bruce Mansfield coal plant, with about 3,000 construction jobs expected. The Homer City redevelopment is replacing a former coal plant with a gas plant of about 4.5 gigawatts, and Amazon has filed plans for the data center campus around it.

Springdale, Upper Burrell, Forward Township and Big Beaver are still in approvals. Misty Hollow has its own project page.

Which Pennsylvania data center projects could start in 2027?

Based on what developers have filed or said publicly:

• Misty Hollow: the developer estimates a fall 2027 construction start, if the plan is approved.
• Homer City: Amazon's filing shows work in phases, so 2027 could bring the first buildings. The county planning commission accepted the plan for review in October and has 90 days to approve or reject it.
• Highridge: Nebius expects a first phase to be operational by October 2027, which would put construction work in 2027.
• Big Beaver: the first phase could follow in early 2028, so site work may begin before then.

Treat every date as an estimate. Under Executive Order 2026-05, signed August 18, 2026, local land-use approval comes before state permits for projects over 25 megawatts, and data centers no longer use the state's fast track permit program. A project can be well known and still be a long way from breaking ground.

Is there a construction labor shortage for Pennsylvania data centers?

Yes, and data centers are adding to a gap that already existed. ABC Eastern Pennsylvania says data center demand "intensifies an existing workforce gap", pulling on the same people needed for hospitals, higher education and industrial work. The Associated Press reported that Boilermakers Local 154 in southwestern Pennsylvania went from recruiting no apprentices for four years to assembling a class of more than 200, and still needs more.

Overlap is the risk for contractors. Project Phoenix and Homer City are already moving, and more campuses could follow within the same few years, so experienced crews may be committed before a later project needs them.

Which skilled trades do Pennsylvania data centers need besides electricians?

The trades follow the site. Many of the Pennsylvania projects above are on former power plant or industrial land, which changes what comes first:

• Asbestos abatement and demolition. Older structures are inspected before they come down, and regulated asbestos is removed first. Pennsylvania certifies people who do asbestos work through its Department of Labor & Industry. See asbestos and environmental abatement staffing.
• Scaffold carpenters. Data halls, generation buildings and tanks all need safe access. See scaffold carpenter staffing.
• Mechanical insulators. Chilled-water piping needs a sealed vapor retarder, and on-site gas plants add hot piping. See mechanical insulation for data centers.
• Fireproofers and coatings applicators. Structural steel, floors and tanks.
• Shutdown crews. On-site power plants need scheduled outages for years after opening.

The full phase-by-phase list is on our data center construction staffing page.

What should contractors do now?

• Check the status yourself. Use the state tracker and township agendas before you commit people to a project.
• Confirm labor terms early. Ask how each job will be staffed, including whether it runs under a project labor agreement.
• Ask about prevailing wage. The state's GRID framework lists prevailing-wage construction jobs among its workforce requirements, so find out early whether your package needs certified payroll.
• Get worker records ready. Mission-critical sites ask for background checks, drug screens and current certifications up front.
• Line up the early trades first. Abatement and demolition can start before a general contractor is named.

How does Cruitfly staff Pennsylvania data center work?

Cruitfly staffs the specialty trades around the electrical work, and it does not supply electricians. Every worker is a W2 Cruitfly employee covered by Cruitfly's workers' compensation, certified payroll is produced weekly, and typical fill time is 48 to 72 hours. Every asbestos worker Cruitfly places holds a current license issued by the state where the project is located. Most Cruitfly workers carry OSHA 10, especially when the client requires it. See the compliance page and Pennsylvania staffing.

Recent work that maps to a campus: 86 demolition and abatement workers on a Georgia university project, 30 scaffold carpenters and helpers for a Wyoming power plant shutdown, and a mechanical insulation crew scaled from three to six in two weeks. For electricians and other trades, see the best data center construction staffing agencies.

Bidding on a Pennsylvania data center package? Request workers from Cruitfly or call 317-426-7703.

Key Takeaways

• Proposed is not started. Pennsylvania has more than 100 proposals, and only a few large campuses have begun work.
• Local approval comes first. Since August 2026, state permits for large projects wait on local land-use approval.
• Many sites are former industrial land. Abatement and demolition can be the first work on site.
• Labor is already tight. Data center work competes with hospitals, universities and industrial jobs for the same people.
• Dates move. Check the state tracker and township agendas before you commit crews.

Key Terms

• Hyperscale data center: A very large campus built for cloud or AI computing.
• Conditional use: A local zoning approval that allows a use on a site if set conditions are met.
• GRID: Pennsylvania's framework of requirements for data center projects seeking state permits and incentives.
• Project labor agreement: A pre-hire agreement that sets labor terms for a construction project.
• Prevailing wage: A minimum wage rate set for a trade on certain public or regulated work, reported through certified payroll.

Frequently Asked Questions