U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) met with leaders of Homer City Generation in Pittsburgh on May 7 to discuss redevelopment progress at the former Homer City Generating Station and federal permitting reform tied to the senator’s Unlock American Energy and Jobs Act.
McCormick called the redevelopment project a major economic and energy investment for Pennsylvania.
“What is happening in Indiana County is something special,” McCormick said. “The Homer City Generation project is now the largest natural gas-powered energy facility under construction in the United States. When it is finished, it will be one of the largest energy and infrastructure campuses in North America.”
During the meeting, Homer City Generation CEO Corey Hessen said the Indiana County site has rapidly advanced over the past year, with progress being made possible by what he described as an efficient and transparent permitting process involving state, local, and federal agencies.
“Homer City is proof that permitting can work efficiently — and when it does, our communities win,” Hessen said. “In just over a year, we’ve moved from site preparation to demolition to construction because state, local, and federal permitting agencies created a process built on transparency, clear timelines, and real partnership.”
He added that the process allowed the company to bring more workers onto the site faster and create a broader economic impact across the region.
In fact, according to the company, nearly 1,300 skilled workers, including electricians, carpenters, and boilermakers, are currently working on site.
Demolition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026, while underground foundation work and vertical construction on the Gas Insulated Switchgear building are under way.
Additionally, the company said it has moved about 3 million cubic yards of earth as part of site preparation, secured 14 of 18 material DEP permits and six of eight building permits, and expects the first of seven turbines from GE Vernova to arrive this year.
Homer City Generation also said the project has maintained a zero OSHA-recordable-incident safety record.
“This project is creating thousands of great-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians and will add gigawatts of power to the grid, beyond what the campus itself needs, to help lower prices for consumers,” the senator said. “Through projects like Homer City, Pennsylvania is making America more competitive and energy dominant.”
Byron Stauffer, executive director of the Indiana County Development Corporation, said the Homer City Energy Campus is already a game changer for the community.
“From the massive workforce already engaged on the site to the ripple effect of indirect jobs and new economic activity across the region, the impact of this project is undeniable,” said Stauffer. “For Indiana County, this is about much more than a single power plant — it is about bringing back family-sustaining jobs, investing in the future of our community, and reinforcing Pennsylvania’s role in building America’s most critical energy infrastructure.”
Indiana County Commissioner Mike Keith pointed out that the project is creating opportunities for local workers and businesses while helping develop the next generation of skilled labor.
“Homer City Generation is creating real momentum for our community — not just through the scale of investment, but through the opportunities it is creating for local workers, businesses, and families,” Keith said. “We’re seeing skilled union labor and tradespeople from across the region return to work on a project that reflects the strength of our workforce and our proud energy heritage.”
Just as importantly, he added, it’s creating pathways for the next generation of the state’s workforce to build lasting, career-defining skills.
“We thank Sen. McCormick for his leadership on permitting reform, and we hope that Homer City, Pa., can serve as a national model for how critical energy infrastructure can be built when permitting works the way it should,” added Hessen.