US data center firm Switch is to develop a new campus outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The company this week announced plans for a 382-acre data center campus in Big Beaver Borough, Beaver County.

Big Beaver is around 40 miles (64km) northwest of Pittsburgh, close to the state border with Ohio. Full details of Switch’s planned campus haven’t been shared.

“Beaver County helped build America’s industrial foundation, and this campus represents a new chapter for the Borough of Big Beaver. Switch plans to serve as a long-term partner to Beaver County by investing in infrastructure and supporting local initiatives to stimulate the local economy and benefit the community,” said Natalie Stewart Mitchell, SVP of government affairs & campus development at Switch. “We are excited to invest in this region and partner with the community to be a responsible, long-term neighbor.”

Switch noted the campus will use its proprietary design, utilizing a closed-loop cooling system that recycles water – consuming zero water to cool the servers and GPUs and requiring a minimal water connection for office and warehouse spaces.

Founded in 2000, Switch operates its large 'Prime' data center campuses in Austin, Texas; Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Over the last year, it has filed to expand further in Austin and Atlanta, and acquired more land in Las Vegas.

DigitalBridge, alongside IFM Investors, took Switch private in an $11 billion deal in December 2022. Australian pension fund Aware Super invested $500m into Switch in 2023.

Last month, an affiliate linked to real estate firm Provident acquired a former race track site near Big Beaver for a potential data center development.

Aligned is also developing in Beaver County, targeting a development in nearby Shippingport.

DCD takes a closer look at Pennsylvania’s growing data center market in issue #60 of DCD>Magazine. Register here now to read it for free.