A former power station in Springdale, Pennsylvania, looks set to be the site of a new data center.

The site, which formerly housed the Cheswick Generating Station, is likely to become a data center, according to local reporting.

The 565MW coal power plant was retired in 2022, with demolition and cleanup ongoing since March, following the removal of the old boiler house. The site is expected to be fully cleared and ready for redevelopment within months.

Scott Reschly, president of Charah Environmental Redevelopment Group, the Louisville-based company that acquired the property in 2022, confirmed that the land is under contract with a major international data center developer.

Although he declined to name the company, Reschly said the company is currently in the due diligence phase and is working with consultants based both in Pennsylvania and other states. He expects the transaction to close by the end of the year.

“We set out to accomplish something and we did,” Reschly said. “We’ve lined up a solid buyer with a real plan for the future of this land.”

State Representative Mandy Steele, who represents the 33rd District, including Springdale, noted the economic potential of the project for local community interests.

“The company has shown a strong interest in supporting the local community,” Steele noted. “They want this to be a win for the region.”

Cheswick Council president Brad Yaksich echoed the sentiment, expressing relief that the property won’t remain a dormant brownfield site. “It’s encouraging to see the land being repurposed. Hopefully, the developers will be engaged neighbors,” Yaksich said.

The project joins a growing trend within the Western Pennsylvania region of repurposing brownfield industrial sites for new data center developments.

Most notably, in April, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR) and Kiewit partnered to develop the former Homer City Generating Station, a decommissioned 2GW coal-burning power station near Homer City, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, into a 4.5GW natural gas-powered data center campus spanning more than 3,200 acres. The project has been dubbed The Homer City Energy Campus.

This article has been updated to reflect the correct Springdale. We regret the error