PITTSBURGH (March 2026) - Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney is pleased to sponsor original research commissioned by the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies, conducted by Mangum Economics. The report titled, "Pennsylvania Builds the Cloud: Manufacturing, Energy, and Data Center Development" examines two converging megatrends and how each impacts Pennsylvania: the explosive growth of data centers and the massive modernization now underway across America's energy grid.
"We saw early on that Pennsylvania will be at the center of opportunities related to data centers and AI infrastructure, and this report confirms that it is a huge economic development and growth opportunity across the commonwealth," said Randy Vulakovich, senior principal and chair of the firm's state government relations practice group.
Vulakovich added, "With Buchanan's depth of experience spanning real estate development and construction, power generation, energy regulation, policy, and technology, we help clients navigate and maximize data center opportunities. From site to cloud, we offer clients strategic solutions that help them stay ahead of this fast-paced industry."
The major findings of the study support that the Commonwealth is at the center of data center growth:
- Pennsylvania leads all PJM states in manufacturing and raw-material exports to data center hubs in the PJM region (nearly $14.6 billion in 2024).
- Exported products to PJM data centers currently support more than 1,900 jobs today and are projected to drive over 4,500 additional jobs and $1.5 billion in new annual output by 2036.
- Data center capacity is projected to expand from 182 MW in 2026 to more than 7,196 MW by 2036, over 4,000% growth, outpacing every other PJM state.
- The decade-long buildout will sustain more than 8,500 skilled construction jobs statewide. By 2036, Pennsylvania-based data centers will directly create nearly 8,300 permanent operations jobs.
- In-state data center activity will generate approximately $12 billion in new annual economic output and support nearly 19,400 additional jobs by 2036, spanning manufacturing, energy, services, and the broader economy.
- Reliable, low-cost power, continued grid modernization, and world-class manufacturing create a reinforcing advantage, positioning the Commonwealth as both a premier host for data center development and the industrial backbone powering AI and cloud growth across the PJM region.
Read the full executive summary here.
From site to center, Buchanan is a comprehensive legal partner dedicated to supporting the unique needs of data center developers and operators. The firm assists in navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes that impact the constructability, operation, and scalability of data center infrastructure. Buchanan attorneys and government relations professionals bring decades of experience working with clients across energy, finance, real estate, construction, natural resources, site acquisition, utility negotiations, zoning and permitting, commissioning, compliance requirements, tax planning, and more.
Buchanan is uniquely positioned to guide clients through the complexities of this rapidly growing industry and can help clients harness the incredible opportunities in Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit https://www.bipc.com/data-centers-ai-infrastructure.