DEP seeks public comments on air quality permit for 15 natural gas generators at Iron City No. 2 Data Center in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comments through August 17 on an air quality permit for 15 natural gas fired generators at the Iron City No. 2 Data Center in Beccaria Township, Clearfield County. The generators would emit nearly 38,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, plus significant amounts of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. The permit is for construction only at this stage. No public hearing is scheduled yet, but one can be requested. Comments must be sent to the DEP Northcentral Regional Office in Williamsport. The application is available for review by appointment. This project is part of a larger wave of data center development in the PJM region that is driving up electricity demand and straining grid reliability. Recent PJM capacity auctions hit price caps and fell short of reliability targets, prompting policy debates about how to balance economic development with environmental and grid impacts.