GE Vernova investing $100M in Speers factory

The company expects to create 250 new jobs at the facility.

While some companies have left the Mon Valley recently, others are expanding.

On Tuesday, GE Vernova announced a $100 million investment in its Speers factory to expand production of critical equipment for the electrical grid and power plants.

This investment is expected to create 250 new jobs, primarily in manufacturing high-voltage switchgear products. It is part of a larger plan to create approximately 700 new jobs across multiple factories in Pennsylvania.

It’s an extension of a $600 million multi-year investment aimed at boosting factories and facilities and creating more than 1,500 new U.S. jobs that was initially announced in January.

The Speers location is a GE Vernova Center of Excellence for dead tank circuit breakers. It focuses on grid modernization, domestic supply chains and strengthening national security within the energy sector.

The new roles will help manufacture more high-voltage switchgear products, which are critical components for stable and reliable operation of the nation’s electrical grids.

“Powering the grid is at the core of powering America’s economy,” said Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova. “These new jobs and investment reflect our ongoing commitment to not only building critical grid infrastructure with American workers, but re-industrializing Pennsylvania’s proud manufacturing legacy. They will also help strengthen our domestic supply chain, improve national security and boost global competitiveness by closing a crucial gap.”

Strazik said the investment complements advancements already being made by the company.

“We are investing in Charleroi and our advanced grid technology because it complements the investments we’ve made in power generation,” Strazik said. “For the U.S. to lead in energy, manufacturing critical domestic grid infrastructure is just as important as generation.”

Speers Mayor Tim Herd said he had heard rumblings of a possible expansion, but nothing had been confirmed.

When he learned of the news Tuesday, he was almost giddy.

“That’s the best news I could have heard today,” he said. “First off, they have been a good neighbor, which we as a community appreciate. To have them here, to invest in their facility here, it’s going to bring jobs, more income for Speers and hopefully opportunities for our neighbors, too. It’s a very exciting thing, and a win-win situation all around.”

With 250 new jobs set to be created in the next two years, the company’s decision to expand offers hope for the Mon Valley, with families and communities bearing the weight of large losses in the past year when it comes to industry.

In Charleroi, just down the road from GE Vernova, Quality Pasta closed in September, resulting in the loss of 100 jobs.

Only a few weeks later, Charleroi took another hit when employees and leaders learned the Corelle Brands Plant would close and production would move to Lancaster, Ohio.

The Corelle closure was delayed more than once, and despite a community-wide effort to save the plant, on April 11 the last batch of glass came off of the press ending a 132-year legacy of glassmaking in the borough.

Though GE Vernova is located in Speers, the investment will have a broader impact on neighboring communities.

Charleroi Council President Kristin Hopkins said the announcement will create a lot of opportunities — and make sure the Mon Valley is at the forefront of a growing industry.

“The news that GE Vernova will be investing in 250 new jobs as part of a Pennsylvania Factory Expansion at the Speers facility is great news for the entire area,” she said. “After losing hundreds of jobs due to the closure of Quality Pasta and the Corelle Plant recently, these newly created jobs will offer a great opportunity for our workforce.

“We can also have pride in knowing that we (the Mon Valley) will be playing a part in our great country’s electrical grid enhancements and maintenance.”

GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions factory has been manufacturing high-voltage instrument transformers and circuit breakers in Speers for more than three decades.

The investment will be transformative for the area, and the industry.

“GE Vernona’s decision to invest millions in its Charleroi facility is welcome news for the Mon Valley. It is impactful because it will create 250 jobs for our area and demonstrates the economic potential of the Mon Valley region,” said Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula. “It is also transformational as it positions the facility to manufacture more high voltage switchgear products that will be essential to maintaining power demands for our electric grid and will seize new opportunities in AI and advanced technologies made right here in the Mon Valley.

“We are excited and thankful for this investment and the opportunities it will bring Washington County.”

Herd thinks the investment is just what the area needs.

“I would say this is a win for the entire Mon Valley,” Herd said. “With Corelle closing down, Quality Pasta closing down, those were hard losses for the entire area. This news is exactly what we all needed, to realize there’s hope and opportunity here.

“This is a huge commitment to our community, the greater Charleroi area, the school district, the entire Mon Valley. I think this is the kind of thing that will punch some life into the area and I’m excited to see what that looks like.”

In addition to the new investment in its Charleroi facility, GE Vernova announced it has secured a full order to provide seven of its high-efficiency 7HA.02 natural gas turbines to the Homer City Energy Campus.

The facility, once the largest coal plant in Pennsylvania, will provide up to 4.4 gigawatts of electricity to power what will become a more than 3,200-acre natural gas-powered data center campus. The campus will be designed to meet the growing artificial intelligence and high-performance computing needs of the innovative technology companies shaping America’s digital future.

The Homer City Energy Campus is expected to be completed in 2027.

The approximately $100 million of new investments in Pennsylvania over the next two years are part of a larger $9 billion cumulative global capital expenditure and R&D investment plan through 2028 that was announced at the company’s Investor Update in December 2024.

Currently GE Vernova’s technology helps produce more than half the power in the United States, and the company has more than 18,000 workers across 50 states and 18 U.S. manufacturing facilities.