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Aligned Data Centers breaks ground on 2 GW 'Project Phoenix' campus at legacy Shippingport energy site. 11 Sept 2026 By: IDCNOVA Region: North America Aligned Data Centers has commenced construction on "Project Phoenix," a 2 GW data center campus in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, marking a significant milestone in the redevelopment of a legacy industrial site into modern digital infrastructure. The project, spanning three facilities, is expected to anchor an estimated $10 billion in regional economic investment and signals growing momentum behind large-scale data center development in Western Pennsylvania. The groundbreaking carries broader significance as demand for digital infrastructure continues to surge across the United States, placing increasing pressure on developers to balance capacity growth with community responsibility and grid reliability. Project Phoenix is positioned as a model for how advanced data center development can be pursued without shifting costs onto local ratepayers or compromising energy affordability. "Project Phoenix represents the future of responsible data center development," said Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned. "The project is a legacy reimagined that transforms a dormant industrial site into a foundational asset for the local community. Beyond delivering critical infrastructure for our customers, this investment establishes a powerful new economic hub for Western Pennsylvania and creates long-term prosperity for local workers and the community." A central feature of the project is its approach to power. The campus will rely on its own dedicated onsite power source rather than drawing from the local electrical grid. Situated in the Shippingport Industrial Park, the campus is adjacent to the Shippingport Power Station, a former coal plant being redeveloped into an advanced natural gas energy campus. Once completed, Project Phoenix is expected to deliver substantial excess power capacity back to the grid, boosting supply for the nation's largest power grid operator and Pennsylvania consumers. Aligned has also endorsed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) requirements and signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, underscoring its commitment to energy affordability, workforce development, transparency, and environmental protection. "We proudly support Governor Shapiro's GRID standards and are a signatory of the Ratepayer Protection Pledge," Schaap added. "We have always held ourselves to a higher bar because doing things the right way is simply who we are. We aren't just a responsible developer; we operate these facilities and stay in the communities we build, so the long-term success of our projects and communities is essential to our continued growth." The economic impact of the project is substantial. Project Phoenix is expected to support approximately 3,000 construction jobs and create an estimated 640 full-time careers for ongoing campus operations, while catalyzing thousands of indirect jobs throughout the local supply chain and regional economy. The campus is also projected to generate new government revenue annually for Beaver County. "Project Phoenix represents a significant investment in the future of Western Pennsylvania and the region's digital infrastructure," said Beth Lowry, CEO of Holder Construction. "We're proud to partner with Aligned on this transformative project and help bring a world-class data center campus to the community." Brett Burgett, CEO of Kokosing, echoed that sentiment: "Transforming a legacy industrial site into a next-generation data center campus requires vision and world-class execution. We are honored that Aligned has trusted Kokosing as a partner to bring Project Phoenix to life. Together, we are delivering sustainable, critical infrastructure while providing thousands of highly skilled tradespeople the opportunity to build the future of their own community." Shippingport Mayor John Erickson emphasized the project's local significance: "For decades, Shippingport has been defined by powering the country as the birthplace of commercial nuclear energy. Project Phoenix honors that legacy, opening a new chapter by taking a historic site and rebuilding it into a modern engine of innovation. By creating thousands of jobs and sustainable career pathways for the next generation, this is far more than an infrastructure project - it is a profound investment in our community's future." On the environmental front, each Project Phoenix data center is engineered to require zero water for operational cooling, utilizing an advanced closed-loop system that continuously recycles pure, deionized water. The facilities are expected to have a minimal overall water footprint comparable to a standard commercial office building. Aligned is also pursuing Green Globes certification at Project Phoenix, a comprehensive green building rating system administered by the Green Building Initiative, reinforcing the company's commitment to sustainable design.

Aligned breaks ground on $10B, 2 GW data center in Beaver County. September 11, 2026 It's official - shovels are in the ground. On Thursday, Aligned Data Centers announced it has broken ground on "Project Phoenix," a 2 gigawatt (GW), three-building data center campus on the grounds of the former Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant in Shippingport, Beaver County, PA. MDN has tracked this story since the July 2025 Pittsburgh energy summit, where the Shippingport site was one of the marquee projects announced (see below). The new details: Aligned quietly bought 650 acres from Frontier Group of Companies in July for $223 million; the campus will run on its own on-site, natural gas-fired power rather than the PJM grid; and Atlanta-based Holder Construction, with Carnegie, PA-based Kokosing Industrial as general contractor, will handle construction. Aligned pegs the regional economic impact at $10 billion, with 3,000 construction jobs and roughly 640 permanent positions. Marcellus gas will feed the whole thing.

Pataskala rejects proposed data center; voters to decide potential ban in November. by WSYX Staff Wed, August 26, 2026 at 8:09 AM Updated Wed, August 26, 2026 at 8:24 AM PATASKALA, Ohio (WSYX) - After months of debate over a proposed data center in Pataskala, opponents of the project are feeling some relief after City Council voted to block the development. The proposed Aligned Data Centers facility was planned as a 200-megawatt, three-building site. The project had been at the center of community discussion for months, drawing concerns from residents who said a large-scale development would change their neighborhoods. A City Council meeting Tuesday night stretched more than three hours, with a few dozen community members in attendance waiting to see how council members would vote. Ultimately, council voted to accept the Pataskala Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation to block the development. Residents across Pataskala have been organizing for months to stop data centers from coming to their neighborhoods. City Council had previously moved to put a data center ban on the ballot for November's elections after community members rallied and gathered more than 500 signatures to push for a public vote on whether to welcome data centers. Aligned Data Centers had said the facility would bring more than 100 permanent jobs to the area and add more than $5 billion in investment. Some residents have argued the project would come at too high a cost for nearby neighborhoods. "My entire block will be destroyed. And everyone has been there even longer than me. I was the last one built. Everyone's had lives there. We've had people who have been there 40 years virtually. So I don't even know how the town could consider this," one neighbor said. While City Council has rejected this proposal, the issue is not settled. Pataskala voters will still have the chance to weigh in on a potential data center ban during the November election. SPONSORED CONTENT MORE TO EXPLORE