Essential Utilities today announced an agreement with International Electric Power III, LLC (IEP), to become an investor in a 1,400-acre data center facility in Greene County, Pennsylvania.
- To build ~18 million gallon per day (MGD) water treatment plant
- Water plant to serve on-site power plant and data center
- Essential to Provide natural gas consultive services and energy management services to the project
Based on the agreement, Essential Utilities, through its subsidiary Aqua, plans todesign, build, and operate an 18 million gallons per day (MGD) water treatment plant to service the power plant and data center. Using raw water from the adjacent Monongahela River, the water plant will support both power generation and data center cooling needs, leveraging Essential’s deep expertise in water infrastructure and environmental stewardship. In addition, Essential’s subsidiary Peoples, the largest natural gas utility in Pennsylvania, will provide gas consulting services and energy management services to the project.
The data center will be powered by 944 MW of behind-the-meter, natural gas combined cycle combustion turbines (CCGTs), supplemented by battery storage, and backed up from an existing interconnection with the electric grid.
“This is an exciting partnership that provides us the opportunity to leverage our expertise both in water and natural gas and highlights our capabilities as we work with hyperscalers to facilitate the growth of data centers to power the new age of Artificial Intelligence, here in Pennsylvania,” said Chris Franklin, Essential Utilities Chairman and CEO. “This project aligns perfectly with the Energy and Innovation Summit recently hosted, in Pittsburgh, by U.S. Senator Dave McCormick to encourage investment in Energy and Artificial Intelligence. Pennsylvania has the right business climate for projects like this which is why we are so confident in its success.”
IEP, the project developer, and a seasoned independent power producer with over 7 GW of generation experience, found that the Greene County site has ample land for the data center and on-site energy generation, has plentiful access to water thanks to its location on the Monongahela River, and boasts dark fiber local to the site.
“Pennsylvania’s abundant natural resources, world-class workforce and strong federal, state, and local official support drew us to Greene County, and Essential’s investment allows us to take the next step toward making this exciting project a reality for Pennsylvania,” said IEP CEO Peter Dailey. “Essential’s unique expertise in water, wastewater, and natural gas makes them an ideal partner to ensure we have the power and water needed to bring this data center to life.”
Essential and IEP’s partnership has secured the manufacturing slots for the gas turbines, with delivery in 2028. With the initial funding and the gas turbines secured, IEP is now actively seeking investors for the next stage of the project.
Essential previously informed investors that the company was in active discussions with data center developers representing over 5 gigawatts of power demand. In addition to the Greene County project, other discussions throughout Essential’s footprint continue to progress, allowing the company to leverage its expertise in both gas and water.
The Greene County project, expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2029, underscores Essential’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and regional economic development, while positioning the company’s water, wastewater, and gas expertise as a critical component of the AI-driven data infrastructure revolution.
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