Study Assesses Brownfields for Energy, Data Development

Pennsylvania is facing urgent challenges in meeting rapidly rising energy demand while aging coal and natural gas-fired power plants have been retired and new projects are not being built quickly enough to provide the new generation needed to maintain reliable electric service.

A recently released preliminary assessment  evaluates the possibility of  reusing energy-related brownfield sites and deactivated power plants for new power generation or data centers and other large-load industrial projects.

“Pennsylvania stands at a decisive inflection point,” due to rising energy demand, growth in energy-hungry data centers, and aging energy infrastructure, the report states. It calls the reuse of brownfield sites with the proper re-developable infrastructure “a compelling near-term opportunity” that could also provide economic revitalization.

The Pennsylvania Accelerated Transmission and Energy Redevelopment study is being undertaken by the state Public Utility Commission and Team PA, with the assessment being conducted by consulting firm KeyLogic. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Transmission Acceleration Grant Program. The two-part study will look at how to strategically invest in energy infrastructure to support growing electricity demands from large loads while maximizing the economic benefits of redevelopment opportunities across Pennsylvania.

The preliminary assessment identified a portfolio of 21 former energy sites that are the most suitable for new power plants or large-load projects such as data centers. It notes that reusing existing brownfield energy sites can help bypass long timelines for permitting and building infrastructure because they have existing transmission interconnections and capacity to send power to the PJM regional grid as well as water, rail, and highway access.

Researchers evaluated the infrastructure characteristics at a number of sites around the state, evaluated constraints, and studied regional economic conditions, workforce, economic impacts, and environmental risks and remediation to come up with the preliminary list of the 21 most suitable sites. The coal and natural gas sites accounted for 4.8 gigawatts of power that has been removed from the electric grid.

The report noted that Pennsylvania is one of the most critical energy states in the Mid-Atlantic region that are part of the PJM regional grid and exported nearly 89 megawatt-hours to other states in 2025. But PJM facing load growth that is accelerating faster than current planning can accommodate, placing the region below its reliability requirement. That makes the rapid addition of new generation critical.

Among the sites are several in Western Pennsylvania, including the former Mitchell and Elrama power plants in Washington County, the Hatfields Ferry power plant site in Greene County, and the Beaver Valley and Phillips power plants in Beaver County.

The next phase of the study will bring together grid operators, industry experts, and local stakeholders to narrow the list to five to seven locations that present the best opportunity for rapid redevelopment.