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New Study Says Manufacturing Excellence to Drive Widespread Job Creation in AI and Data Center Infrastructure

At the second annual PA Data Center & Energy Innovation Summit, the Pittsburgh Technology Council (PTC) and the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) released a report titled, "Pennsylvania Builds the Cloud: Manufacturing, Energy, and Data Center Development." Prepared by Mangum Economics, the research highlights Pennsylvania’s emergence as a global leader in digital infrastructure, and its opportunities to capitalize on that momentum.

The report reveals that Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to benefit from widespread job creation in the digital economy by leveraging a "three-legged stool" of opportunities associated with data centers: advanced manufacturing, energy generation and distribution, and actual data center development. While other states often focus on only one area, Pennsylvania’s opportunity is in successfully scaling all three simultaneously to secure a unique role in America’s digital future. It is already leading in two of the three areas: manufacturing and energy generation and distribution.

"For the first time in generations, more factories are being built and expanded in Western Pennsylvania than are closing and that is not a coincidence. These facilities are being purpose-built to manufacture the components and energy infrastructure that the global cloud runs on” said Audrey Russo, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council. “Pittsburgh didn't wait to be discovered. We created the environment, and the investment followed.”

In the first leg of the stool, Pennsylvania serves as the "industrial backbone" of the cloud, providing the physical infrastructure required for the region's digital expansion.

  • PJM Market Leader: In 2024 alone, the state exported over $14 billion in manufacturing and raw materials specifically related to data centers to the 13 states within the PJM interconnection—more than any other state in the network.
  • Industrial Scale: When combined with energy and professional services, Pennsylvania’s total data center-related exports to the PJM region reached $29 billion in 2024.
  • Critical Components: The Commonwealth’s industrial base leads in the production of the essential "guts" of the cloud, including electrical transformers, switchgear, grid-scale batteries, and structural steel.
  • Economic Momentum: These regional exports currently support nearly 2,000 jobs, a figure projected to grow by an additional 4,500 positions by 2036 as demand for infrastructure across the PJM territory continues to climb.

"This report confirms that Pennsylvania’s opportunity is not just about hosting servers; it’s about fueling the entire innovation lifecycle,” added Dean Miller, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT). “By connecting our world-class energy assets with our unmatched manufacturing scale, we are creating a powerhouse ecosystem for capital investment and long-term job growth across the Commonwealth." 

That unmatched grid reliability is key to the second leg of the stool. Data centers are "electrical problems wrapped in real estate solutions," and Pennsylvania’s grid provides a rare combination of scale and performance.

  • The Nation’s Powerhouse: Pennsylvania is the #1 electricity exporter in the United States. In 2024, the state exported 85 million MWh—one-third of its total generation—ensuring a massive surplus to support new development without compromising local reliability.
  • Top-Tier Reliability: The state’s power sources rank among the highest for reliability when measured by Effective Load Carrying Capacity (ELCC), providing the 24/7 uninterrupted power that AI operations demand.
  • Cost Efficiency: Pennsylvania maintains the fourth lowest commercial electricity rates among PJM states, providing a decisive competitive advantage.

"Pennsylvania isn’t choosing between data centers, power, or manufacturing. We are positioned to lead in all three," said Randy Vulakovich of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a lead sponsor of the study. "When people talk about where America’s AI economy lives, they'll say Pennsylvania because we built the entire infrastructure of the future."

It is that third leg of the stool, data center expansion, where even more opportunities exist. Pennsylvania is currently the fastest-growing data center market in the PJM grid, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of growth for in-state industry.

  • Capacity Surge: Projected capacity is set to grow from 182 MW to over 7,300 MW by 2036—a 4,000 percent increase.
  • Workforce Impact: The physical construction of these data center facilities alone is expected to sustain more than 8,500 skilled construction jobs annually through 2036. Furthermore, these facilities will directly create nearly 8,300 permanent operations jobs.
  • Economic Output: By 2036, data center activity is projected to generate $12 billion in annual economic output and support an additional 19,400 jobs across the broader economy.

CLICK HERE to access the session slides from A Pennsylvania Moment: Data Centers | Power | Manufacturing presented at the 2026 PA Data Center & Energy Innovation Summit.