Aligned Data Centers Plans $10 Billion Natural Gas-Powered Campus in Pennsylvania
February 3, 2026
Aligned Data Centers is advancing its expansion strategy with a major new project in the U.S. Northeast, targeting a region with growing power availability and strategic location. The company is planning to develop a significant data center campus in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, approximately 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
According to local reports and public records, Aligned intends to build two data center facilities within the 660-acre Shippingport Industrial Park, a site owned by the brownfield redevelopment firm Frontier Group of Companies. The project, internally referred to as "Project Phoenix," represents a potential investment of $10 billion, with construction potentially commencing later this year. The local borough council has already approved the necessary conditional use permit following a public hearing.
The proposed campus is notable for its planned reliance on natural gas for power. The site was formerly home to the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant, a 2.49-gigawatt facility that ceased operations in 2019. Frontier Group, which acquired the property in 2022, announced plans last year to develop a new 2.7-gigawatt natural gas plant on the land, with the entire site ultimately offering up to 3.6 gigawatts of behind-the-meter capacity. Initially, however, Aligned's buildings are expected to draw power from a separate natural gas line provided by National Fuel Gas Company, rather than the new plant.
In a statement, an Aligned spokesperson emphasized community engagement, saying, "We are very excited about the prospect of joining the Shippingport community. We are working closely and transparently with all appropriate local bodies and city officials to ensure our proposed project aligns with the community’s vision and requirements. Our goal is to be a great neighbor for years to come." The spokesperson added that the project promises to bring high-quality jobs and significant economic opportunities to the area.
This move underscores the intense competition for viable data center sites, particularly those with access to substantial, reliable power sources. The shift toward natural gas-powered facilities highlights the industry's ongoing search for transitional energy solutions that offer grid stability and scalability amid soaring demand from artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Aligned's partnership with Frontier Group builds on an existing relationship, as the two companies have previously collaborated on data center projects in Ohio.
The Pennsylvania project marks a continued aggressive expansion for Aligned, which operates campuses in key markets like Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and Northern Virginia, and has other developments underway in Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia. The company itself was recently acquired in a landmark $40 billion transaction by a consortium including BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners.
Source: datacenterdynamics
