Pennsylvania unions back AI growth: can local jobs outpace Virginia’s data centers?

Pennsylvania is positioning itself as a major player in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, aiming to capitalize on its abundant natural gas resources and strong manufacturing workforce to drive economic growth. The state’s AI Strike Team, led by executive director Joanna Doven, has set an ambitious target to create 100,000 tech jobs by 2028.

State Sen. Greg Rothman envisions a "COZ"—a statewide "regulatory sandbox"—to streamline collaboration between AI companies and government agencies, reducing bureaucratic delays and fostering innovation. This initiative reflects a bipartisan effort to revitalize Pennsylvania’s aging demographics through job creation.

Local trade unions, including Steamfitters Local 449 led by Kenneth Broadbent, support the AI expansion to ensure that new jobs remain within Pennsylvania. This push comes amid stiff competition from Virginia, which currently hosts 576 data centers—the highest concentration in the nation—and was the top electricity importer in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The challenge for Pennsylvania will be to outpace Virginia’s established data center infrastructure while leveraging its unique energy advantages and workforce strengths. As Doven noted, the state is amid a "massive re-industrialization and economic shift," positioning it to be an "outsized beneficiary" if it can successfully attract AI investment and jobs.

"We are in the midst of a massive re-industrialization and economic shift, and Pennsylvania stands to be an outsized beneficiary of this shift because of our historical strengths in manufacturing and workforce," Doven said.

"The COZ would enable businesses and state agencies to collaborate seamlessly, eliminating inefficiencies that don’t seem to serve any other purpose than to delay," Rothman added.

With unions championing local development and legislators pushing regulatory innovation, Pennsylvania’s AI ambitions could reshape its economic landscape, but the race against Virginia’s entrenched data center dominance remains a critical hurdle.

Pennsylvania aims to become a global AI hub, leveraging its natural gas resources and manufacturing workforce to create 100,000 tech jobs by 2028. Local unions back AI growth to retain jobs, competing with Virginia, which hosts 576 data centers and leads in electricity imports nationwide.