The state is on OpenAI's shortlist for Stargate, a potentially $500 billion investment in the hardware needed to power artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT.
In addition to a pilot site in Texas, OpenAI is "evaluating potential sites in Pennsylvania, Oregon and Wisconsin, with site visits happening next week," the company's chief financial officer Sarah Friar said on LinkedIn.
"Stargate is designed for decades to come, combining cutting-edge AI technology with deep capital markets and large-scale infrastructure investment," she said.
The company is also looking for proposals from "top firms" to design and build the data centers.
"AI is moving fast," Ms. Friar added. "The next wave isn't just better chatbots — it's AI agents that can work independently over long periods of time, solving complex problems in science, medicine, and beyond. That level of intelligence requires massive computer infrastructure, and that's what Stargate is designed to deliver."
OpenAI plans to share more details on projects in Pennsylvania on Thursday. The potential investment here comes a year after Pennsylvania became the first state to partner with OpenAI on an enterprise model for government workers. Workers reported saving an average of 105 minutes per day using ChatGPT.
"We view AI as a critically important, helpful tool when it comes to delivering government services [and] supporting our fellow Pennsylvanians," Gov. Josh Shapiro said in October at the inaugural AI Horizons summit in Pittsburgh.
Since that event, organizers have been forming a strategy to attract additional AI development, including data centers. The Post-Gazette reported last week that members of a new AI strike team hope to make Pittsburgh a top-tier hub for AI work, with the goal of building to 100,000 tech jobs by 2028.
"Operation Stargate Pittsburgh," is a centerpiece of that campaign, according to planning documents obtained by the Post-Gazette .
As one of the top energy producers in the nation, Pennsylvania is well-suited to power the artificial intelligence revolution. Amazon Web Services has already targeted a nuclear site in Eastern Pennsylvania to power a data center for its cloud system. Microsoft has plans to wake up Three Mile Island.
Mr. Shapiro is hoping through his 2025-26 budget to drive even more energy production in the state, which could support projects like Stargate.
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