Concerns over the potential impact on the community’s health, the economy and environment by the proposed natural gas-fired power plant and artificial intelligence data centers near Homer City will be aired at a public meeting Sunday in Indiana.
Representatives from environmental organizations — PennFuture, the Clean Air Council and the Center for Coalfield Justice — are scheduled to lead a panel discussion at the meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Indiana Theater, 637 Philadelphia St.
The newly-formed Concerned Residents of Western PA, which is sponsoring the event, said the first half of the meeting will be a panel discussion by the three representatives from the environmental groups. The second half will be devoted to area residents being able to question the panel and offer their concerns. The meeting had been scheduled for Jan. 25, but was postponed because of the snowstorm.
A spokesperson for the Concerned Residents group could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
The panelists scheduled to participate are Nina Victoria, a community advocate from the Center for Coalfield Justice in Washington County; Jay Walker, outreach coordinator with the Clean Air Council and Katriana Marquez, civic engagement mobilizer for PennFuture.
None could be reached for comment Tuesday.
Developer not invited
The Concerned Residents group did not list any speakers from the developer, Homer City Redevelopment LLC. Robin Gorman, vice president of Homer City Redevelopment and a former Indiana County commissioner, could not be reached for comment.
The environmental group claimed in opposition to the 4.5-gigawatt power plant and AI data center in Center Township that it will have massive economic, environmental and health impacts in the region.
The Concerned Residents, formed last fall, contend that most supporters of the project focus on the 10,000 construction jobs that are temporary. The company estimates that the power plant will have about 1,000 workers.
Homer City Redevelopment unveiled plans in April 2025 to build the plant on the 3,200-acre site that once held a coal-fired power plant that was shut down in 2023. The company demolished the smokestacks.
The new plant is projected to generate power next year. It is estimated to be a $10 billion development that will produce more power in excess of what is needed for the data centers, thus adding to the energy supply through the interstate transmission grid.
