References and Appendices
- Foundational federal, state, and industry documents referenced in roadmap
- Glossary of acronyms and organizations
- Definitions used throughout roadmap
Foundational Documents in This Roadmap
A growing body of national research, industry analysis, and policy guidance informs the rapid evolution of energy systems, data infrastructure, and AI. The documents below represent a curated selection of foundational resources that shaped the framing and priorities in this roadmap.
- America’s AI Action Plan – White House strategy outlining national priorities and initiatives for artificial intelligence development
- Brookings: Mapping the AI Economy – Analysis of regional readiness for economic transformation driven by artificial intelligence
- BCG: Breaking Barriers to Data Center Growth – Report examining challenges and opportunities for global data center expansion
- Data Center Map – Industry tracking of hyperscaler and edge infrastructure
- Goldman Sachs: AI to Drive 165% Increase in Data Center Power Demand by 2030 – Forecast on AI-driven electricity demand growth from expanding data centers
- McKinsey: The data center balance: How US states can navigate the opportunities and challenges – Article identifying tradeoffs and key questions states should examine
- PJM Interconnection: 2025 Load Report – Annual report projecting regional electricity demand through detailed load forecasting
Glossary of Acronyms and Organizations
| AI | Artificial Intelligence |
| CAISI | Center for AI Standards and Innovation (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) |
| CBAs | Community Benefit Agreements |
| CCAP | County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania |
| CHIPS | Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act |
| CMU | Carnegie Mellon University |
| COGs | Councils of Governments |
| CTE | Career and Technical Education |
| DCED | Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development |
| DEP | Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection |
| DHS | U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
| DOD | U.S. Department of Defense |
| DOE | U.S. Department of Energy |
| DOC | U.S. Department of Commerce |
| ED | U.S. Department of Education |
| FCC | Federal Communications Commission |
| FERC | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
| FTC | Federal Trade Commission |
| IC | Intelligence Community |
| ICTS | Information and Communications Technology and Services |
| LLM | Large Language Model |
| MACC/DC | Mid-Atlantic Clean Corridor/Data Center (used regionally in SE PA) |
| NAIRR | National AI Research Resource (NSF-led federal initiative) |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act |
| NEDC | National Energy Dominance Council |
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology (part of DOC) |
| NSC | National Security Council |
| NSDS | National Secure Data Service |
| NSF | National Science Foundation |
| ODNI | Office of the Director of National Intelligence |
| OPSI | Organization of PJM States |
| OMB | Office of Management and Budget |
| OSTP | Office of Science and Technology Policy |
| OTO | Governor’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity (Pennsylvania) |
| PA FastTrack | Pennsylvania Permit Fast Track Program |
| PA Sites | Pennsylvania Sites Program |
| PJM | PJM Interconnection (regional transmission organization serving Pennsylvania and surrounding states) |
| PML | Pennsylvania Municipal League |
| PSATS | Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors |
| PSC | Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center |
| R&D | Research and Development |
| RTO | Regional Transmission Organization |
| SME | Small/medium enterprises |
| SMR | Small Modular Reactor (nuclear energy technology) |
Definitions
AI-Enabled Energy System Transformation: The integration of artificial intelligence into energy generation, transmission, and distribution systems to improve forecasting, optimize grid operations, reduce costs, and accelerate deployment of new resources including predictive maintenance, demand management, efficiency modeling, and siting analysis, enabling a more resilient and adaptive energy system.
All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy: An approach to energy development that incorporates a mix of natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and storage resources, with the goal of ensuring reliability, affordability, and sustainability.
Compute Resilience: The ability of Pennsylvania’s energy and data infrastructure to reliably support high-performance computing and AI applications under conditions of rapid demand growth and evolving technology.
Firm Power: Electricity that is guaranteed to be available at all times, regardless of weather or season, in contrast to intermittent sources such as wind or solar.
Innovation Corridors/Regional AI-Activated Corridors: Regional development zones anchored by AI, advanced industry, and energy infrastructure, designed to concentrate resources, attract investment, and deliver broad-based economic benefits.
Next-Generation Energy System Transformation: The integration of next-generation technologies into energy generation, transmission, and distribution systems to improve forecasting, optimize grid operations, reduce costs, and accelerate deployment of new resources including predictive maintenance, demand management, efficiency modeling, and siting analysis, enabling a more resilient and adaptive energy system.
No-Bottleneck Sites: Prequalified parcels of land that are zoned, permitted, and interconnection-ready, reducing delays and providing developers with clear, accelerated pathways for project deployment.
Talent Readiness Index: A benchmarking tool to assess the availability of skilled workers for AI, energy, and data center projects, including measures of training pipeline capacity, graduation rates, and regional workforce participation.
The Commonwealth/The State: When capitalized, these terms refer specifically to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its formal institutions of state government, including the Governor’s Office, executive agencies, and the General Assembly.
the commonwealth/the state: When written in lowercase, these terms refer to Pennsylvania in its broader sense as one of the fifty U.S. states, encompassing its geography, economy, communities, and people, rather than its formal governmental structure.Unregulated State: A state in which electricity generation is separated from transmission and distribution. In this model, power plants are financed and operated at developer risk, while utilities remain responsible for delivering electricity through transmission and distribution networks.
Workforce Frameworks: Structured programs that align career-connected learning, apprenticeships, and certifications with industry needs in AI, energy, and advanced manufacturing, ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified talent.