Several environmental groups have submitted public comments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection asking it to reconsider its approval of a proposed 4.5GW natural gas power plant at the site of the planned Homer City AI data center complex in Homer City, Pennsylvania.

According to local reports, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Clean Air Council, the Sierra Club, and Earthjustice submitted comments arguing that the project would significantly harm local communities, while offering little in terms of economic benefits.

The groups also claim that emissions emanating from the plant could cause significant respiratory problems for residents, emitting almost three times more CO2 than any other single-generation facility in the state of Pennsylvania.

“If it is built, this facility would be the largest source of carbon dioxide pollution in the Commonwealth – creating carbon pollution without creating commensurate benefits for Pennsylvanians. The department must consider its obligations as a trustee of Pennsylvania’s public natural resources and deny this plan approval,” said Jessica O’Neill, managing attorney for litigation at PennFuture.

The groups went on to claim that the DEP’s handling of the application raised concerns. The department stated that it would act as a ‘concierge’ for companies involved in the project, which the groups claimed indicated a willingness to prioritize private industry over its responsibility to protect Pennsylvanians.

As a result, they called on the DEP to uphold its constitutional and statutory obligations, to ensure that any future decisions comply with the state's laws and constitution.

“Building this plant would lock in an egregious amount of climate pollution – it would be capable of emitting more greenhouse gases than all the cars in Pennsylvania," said Tom Schuster, director of the Sierra Club’s Pennsylvania Chapter. “It would be one thing if the power went to Pennsylvania homes and businesses, but instead it would mostly just fuel the tech billionaires’ AI bubble. Moving this project forward as planned would be reckless, unlawful, and an environmental disaster in the making.”

Plans for the project were first revealed in April, following a partnership between Homer City Redevelopment (HCR) and Kiewit to convert the former Homer City coal power station into a natural gas-powered AI data center.

The project would see the 2GW plant converted into a 4.5GW natural gas-powered campus spanning more than 3,200 acres. To power the campus, gas turbine manufacturer GE Vernova has been contracted to deliver seven high-efficiency 7HA.02 hydrogen-enabled, gas-fired turbines. Delivery of the turbines is expected to begin in 2026.

The initial capital investment in the project is expected to exceed $10 billion for the power infrastructure and site readiness. The construction of the data center is expected to cost billions of dollars more, with commercial operations slated for 2027.