PA Environment Digest Blog: Washington & Jefferson College To Host April 9 Webinar On Energy, Economy And A.I.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Washington & Jefferson College To Host April 9 Webinar On Energy, Economy And A.I. - Data Centers And Pennsylvania's Future

The Washington and Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management will host an April 9 webinar on Energy, Economy And A.I. - Data Centers And Pennsylvania's Future from 11:00 a.m. to Noon.

Data centers are crucial in supporting the cloud-based digital economy, and the use and development of A.I. are rapidly increasing the need for more and bigger operations.

These extensive facilities consume vast amounts of electricity, adding pressure to the regional electric grid.

The presenters will discuss data center basics, how data centers influence the state’s energy infrastructure and sustainability efforts, and how data centers may impact state and local economies.

Esch McCombie is co-chair of the McNees Real Estate Group, specializing in land use matters such as zoning, subdivision, and land development.

He has extensive experience navigating permits and approvals at municipal, county, and state levels.

In his role, he represents developers and property owners across commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential sectors.

Lisa Riggs serves as Team Pennsylvania’s Senior Managing Director of Economic Growth Strategy and Partnerships.

Team Pennsylvania is a statewide entity co-chaired by the governor and a private sector leader that facilitates strategic investments of public and private funds to accelerate Pennsylvania’s economy.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with panelists during a live Q&A session.

The seminar is approved for Continuing Legal Education in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Contact the Washington County Bar Association at wcba@washcobar.org for information about credit.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Washington and Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management webpage for more information on their initiatives.

Resource Links:

-- Washington & Jefferson: Demand For Data Centers Increasing In Pennsylvania

-- PUC House Budget Hearing: We Aren’t Going To Build Our Way Out Of Electric Generation Shortfalls On PJM Grid; We Need To Diversify Our Generation Sources [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Stakeholder Comments On The Issue Of The Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania [Background On Issue] [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem [PaEN]