Peoples to Support Development of Infrastructure Academy Regional Training Facility

Energy Innovation Center Institute building a comprehensive workforce development facility for utility and critical infrastructure workers 

The recent Pennsylvania Energy & Innovation Summit generated pledges of more than $90 billion in investments for the Keystone State. These funds will build data centers for AI computing and energy infrastructure to power them, from generation stations to upgraded pipe and transmission lines. 

The commonwealth’s abundant natural gas reserves, and intellectual firepower from universities like Carnegie Mellon (host of the summit)make Pennsylvania the place to be as the country seeks to strengthen energy security for residential, business and industry customers alike, capitalizing on the growing demand for data centers that provide the processing power for artificial intelligence.  

To make these investment pledges successful, additional investment is needed in developing the next generation of skilled labor, filling gaps that exist currently and could grow as electricians, plumbers, and other trade workers retire. That’s why Peoples and its parent company, Essential Utilities, are key supporters of the Energy Innovation Center Institute’s (EICI) groundbreaking Infrastructure Academy Regional Training (IART) Facility. 

Slated to be built in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a budget of up to $135 million, the IART Facility will be the nation’s first integrated training and operational site for the future of energy, utility, critical infrastructure, microgrids, on-site power generation, AI data centers, and AI-enabled workforce training. 

“This won’t be just another training center,” said Peoples President Michael Huwar. “It’s the future of how we build and protect America’s most important energy and power systems, with the workforce leading, not lagging, the technology.” 

The Energy Innovation Center Institute projects the project will generate more than 7,350 jobs and boost regional GDP by close to $1 billion. The EICI model blends merit-based recruitment with hands-on technical training that meets the needs of energy, utility and infrastructure companies, like Peoples and Essential Utilities. 

Read more about the Infrastructure Academy Regional Training Facility in this Pittsburgh Business Times story.