A data center has been proposed at the site of a former coal mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

According to reporting by the Herald Standard, US natural gas utility company Essential Utilities has partnered with Pittsburgh energy supplier International Electric Power (IEP) on the proposed project.

Per the report, the project would be located along the Monongahela River at the former Robena Mine site, and span 1,400 acres.

The project, if realized, could go online as early as 2029. According to IEP, there is an agreement already in place to purchase the land from Core Natural Resouces, the current owner. If the project were to go ahead, it could create more than 1,000 jobs during the construction phase.

Commenting on the proposal, IEP SVP David Spigelmyer said: “Executing and commercializing important projects like these requires a number of key elements, which the site and region provide — stable supplies of locally-produced natural gas, an outstanding workforce supported by local building trades, a strong dark fiber network, and ample acreage as well as water supply.”

On-site power and water infrastructure are expected to be constructed on the site to power the data center. Essential Utilities has said that it will install natural gas turbines with a combined capacity of 910MW on the site of the data center. The baseload generation will be underpinned by a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) supplied by Eos Energy Enterprises.

In addition, Spigelmyer said that the data center would also be underpinned by a firm grid connection, which would ensure near 100 percent reliability for the data center.

According to the companies, by siting the data center on the Monongahela River, it will have access to an 18 million-gallon-a-day water treatment facility that will supply the onsite power generation facilities and the cooling systems used for the data center. Despite the large water demand, Essential Utilities claimed that it would lead to minimal stress on the region's watershed.

“Taken together, this proposed project has the ability to deliver on the energy and high-tech vision that leaders across our state recognize as a key driver for Pennsylvania’s future success,” Spigelmyer said. “We look forward to engaging with stakeholders across the region as the project advances.”

Essential's natural gas subsidiary, Peoples, will provide gas consulting services and energy management services to the project.

As a result of the partnership, the project has secured manufacturing slots for the gas turbines, with delivery expected in 2028. Following this, IEP is now seeking investors for the next stage of the project.

The Robena mine was once the largest mechanized coal mine in the US. It was also the site of one of the biggest mining disasters in recent US history, after an explosion in December 1962 led to the deaths of 37 workers. The site has been shuttered since 2007.

Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across nine states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.

Norton mine data center nixed

In Norton City, Ohio, a similar proposal to site a data center at a former mine was canceled.

According to local reports, the proposed project at the former PPG Industries mine was nixed due to strong opposition from local community groups.

A statement from city officials said: “Following the townhall meeting on Monday, October 13th, several Council members were provided information from a concerned resident regarding certain statements made by the representative from Quantum HPC. Council members shared this information with the Law Director, who asked the developer to determine if the statements were not true. The developer determined those statements were not true and informed the city that the representative is no longer working for the developer.”

Quantum HPC had proposed to build the data center on a 90-acre site off South Cleveland-Massillon Road. The site had been the former home of a limestone mine owned and operated by PPG Industries. The data center would have spanned 485,000 sq ft (45,055 sqm), collocated with a 157,000 sq ft (14,585 sqm) power yard comprising six natural gas turbines.

Local residents had voiced concerns over the potential environmental impact of the project and the strain it could have on local resources in the region.

Following the rejection, a spokesperson from Quantum HPC said a new development team will oversee the project in Ohio.

"The investment team has heard the concerns of the residents and will implement changes necessary to ensure that all parties that are affiliated with this effort align with our values of integrity and candor," said the spokesperson.