Natural gas and renewable energy in Pittsburgh operations

Photo Credit: Scalo Solar Solutions LLC

Pittsburgh: Natural Resources & Renewable Energy Innovations

We are continuing to maximize the region’s natural gas and natural resources while supporting new businesses and innovations in the storage, efficiency, and renewable energy sector. Home to the future of energy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is where technologies are being developed today to power tomorrow’s global energy needs.

The city of Pittsburgh and Western PA have been an energy capital since the late 19th century when Westinghouse Electric Corporation was founded. The region continues to offer valuable resources for natural gas but is now also focused on the innovation of renewable energy, like the usage of solar panel, wind turbine, and geothermal technology.

With energy consumption on the rise, sustainability and renewable energy sources are more important than ever. Energy companies have found the perfect location in the Pittsburgh area due to industry support from government-owned facilities, nearby universities, and nonprofits.

CONTACT US

Patty Horvatich

Vice President, Business Investment

Phone: 412-392-4555 x4543 | m: 412-491-2489

“This region has been a hotbed of energy innovation for centuries where companies such as Westinghouse were founded over a hundred years ago.”

Caine Finnerty, President and CEO, Watt Fuel Cell
Photo Credit: Watt Fuel Cell
– CAINE FINNERTY, PH.D.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, WATT FUEL CELL

THE ECOSYSTEM

Powering a Global Economy

Pittsburgh's energy ecosystem includes Innovation Works
Photo Credit: Innovation Works

1,000+

Firms

3,100+

Energy Graduates Annually

33,800

Talent Employed

$13.1 Billion

GRP

TALENT

Pittsburgh universities help to provide top energy talent
Photo Credit: Community College of Beaver County

70+

Universities & post-secondary CTE institutions

33,800

employed in the Pittsburgh region’s energy industry

1,200

service unit operators; average wage $35,800*

1,400

electrical, electronic and electromechanical assemblers; average wage $36,600

3,100+

energy industry-related degrees awarded annually

1,800

construction laborers; average wage $41,600

1,500

operating engineers; average wage $55,600*

*Employee numbers and average wages in Energy-related positions (2018)

Energy Momentum in Pittsburgh

18

Expansions (2019-2020)

1,024

Patents (past 10 years)

33,800

Jobs

$129 Million

Dept. of Energy University-Based R&D (Past 5 Years)

$6.7 Billion

Capital Investment (2010-2020)

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Startup Genome Logo

Startup Genome, a global leader in ecosystem research, spotlights the Pittsburgh startup ecosystem as part of its network of 290+ ecosystems worldwide. Pittsburgh is ranked #31 in the top emerging ecosystems globally, with its advanced manufacturing/robotics, life sciences and space tech sectors recognized.  Pittsburgh has also notably experienced 42.6% growth in ecosystem value, per Startup Genome.

Key Investments

Mar 2016 People’s Natural Gas

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300 New Jobs

Creating a new construction division. The company has committed to invest roughly $120 million each year, on average, until 2020 to dig up and replace aging pipeline.

Mar 2016 People’s Natural Gas

Jan 2017 Dura-Bond Industries

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100 New Jobs

Dura-Bond Industries purchased equipment from U.S. Steel’s idled McKeesport plant and is leasing the 317,000 SF plant from the Regional Industrial Development Corp. and hopes to begin producing tubular products primarily for the energy industry within six to nine months.

Jan 2017 Dura-Bond Industries

Apr 2017 Renaissance Energy Center

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25 New Jobs
$600,000,000 Capital Investment

1,000-megawatt, state-of-the-art, natural gas-fueled power generation facility.

Apr 2017 Renaissance Energy Center

May 2017 Rye Development – Projects 2-8

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14 to 28 New Jobs
$480,000,000 Capital Investment

Developing a series of hydroelectric power plants on the three rivers.

May 2017 Rye Development – Projects 2-8

Aug 2017 Columbia Gas

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125 New Jobs

Expansion and renovation of the Smithfield Customer Care Center, creating over 100 good-paying jobs. Over the last 10 years, Columbia Gas has hired hundreds of skilled workers and invested more than $1 billion in Pennsylvania, with the majority of that investment in the Pittsburgh Region, to upgrade energy infrastructure. This work continues today.

Aug 2017 Columbia Gas

Dec 2017 MarkWest Energy

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25 New Jobs
$275,000,000 Capital Investment

Natural gas processing plant.

Dec 2017 MarkWest Energy

Mar 2018 Elliott Group

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150 New Jobs

Building a cryogenic pump test stand to test cryogenic pumps and expanders for the liquefied natural gas industry.

Mar 2018 Elliott Group

Jul 2018 HydroEdge Solutions

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100 New Jobs

Expanding presence in natural gas water management business.

Jul 2018 HydroEdge Solutions

Oct 2018 WATT Fuel Cell

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20 New Jobs

Staff expansion. Has increased staff by 500% since 2014.

Oct 2018 WATT Fuel Cell

Dec 2018 Bechtel Plant Machinery

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600 New Jobs
$28,000,000 Capital Investment

90,000-square-foot headquarters expansion.

Dec 2018 Bechtel Plant Machinery

Mar 2019 Oriden

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40 New Jobs

Pittsburgh-based clean-tech startup Oriden, a power generation organization, announced its launch this week with full backing from global company Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems. It will hire up to 40 local employees.

Mar 2019 Oriden

Aug 2019 Omnis Bailey LLC

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Omnis Bailey LLC, which would take waste coal from Consol Energy’s Pennsylvania mining complex and turn it into clean carbon fuel for power plants, has secured financing for the first 25-ton per hour module.

Aug 2019 Omnis Bailey LLC

Nov 2019 GE Renewables

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100 New Jobs

GE Renewable Energy plans to expand its Speers workforce by 50% over the next year. A division of Paris-based General Electric, GE Renewable plans to add 100 or more employees at the Mon Valley plant, an electrical equipment manufacturer, by the end of 2020. The site currently employs about 200 people. The expansion is the result of a consolidation of switchgear operations by the company.

Nov 2019 GE Renewables

Jul 2020 Komatsu

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Komatsu Mining Corp will develop a 250,000 square-foot distribution center (215,000 square-foot warehouse, 35,000 square feet of office space and more than 250 parking spaces). Komatsu Mining provides equipment, systems and solutions to extract minerals.

Jul 2020 Komatsu

Oct 2021 Envinity Inc.

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Envinity signed a three-year lease to take 3,807 square feet of flex space in the West Shop of the complex at Keystone Commons.

Oct 2021 Envinity Inc.

Industry Support

A researcher works at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Pittsburgh

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

located in suburban Pittsburgh and focused on applied research for the clean production and use of domestic energy resources, helping to reduce carbon emissions. One of only five such U.S. Facilities supporting the DOE with transformative science and technology solutions.

Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory

BETTIS Atomic Power Laboratory

a government-owned R&D facility in suburban Pittsburgh working exclusively on the design and development of nuclear power for the U.S. Navy.

University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Energy Innovation Center
Photo Credit: University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Energy Innovation Center

This 18,600-square-foot laboratory and incubator at downtown Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center represents Pitt’s initiatives to provide more flexible, large-scale space for energy research and partnerships with industry. Lab focuses include renewable electricity technologies, high-temperature corrosion testing, next-generation energy conversion, and storage technologies.

The Wilton E. Scott Institute For Energy Innovation At Carnegie Mellon
Photo Credit: Office 52 Architecture

The Wilton E. Scott Institute For Energy Innovation At Carnegie Mellon

a university-wide research initiative focused on improving energy efficiency and developing new affordable, sustainable, and green energy sources.

NATURAL & CLEAN ENERGY SUCCESS

Watt Fuel Cell
Photo Credit: Watt Fuel Cell

WATT FUEL CELL

Staff increase of over 500% since 2014

Doubling production of solid oxide fuel cell energy systems and stacks

Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station
Photo Credit: Dan Speicher Tribune Review

Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station

$500M+ investment

940-MW, natural gas-fueled power plant in Westmoreland County

Rye Development series of hydroelectric power plants along Pittsburgh rivers
Photo Credit: Rye Development LLC

RYE Development

$480M investment

A series of hydroelectric power plants along Pittsburgh’s three rivers. The University of Pittsburgh has agreed to a power purchase of 100% of the renewable energy produced by the hydroelectric plants.

Contact Us

Patty Horvatich
Senior Vice President, Business Investment