A former energy site in Pennsylvania is set to be transformed into a major high-performance computing campus, with a focus on artificial intelligence workloads, following a partnership between infrastructure company Bitfarms and data centre developer T5 Data Centers.
The Panther Creek site, owned by Bitfarms, will undergo pre-construction planning and design work led by T5, which specialises in building and operating large-scale facilities for hyperscale and enterprise clients. The collaboration aims to ensure the campus is purpose-built for the growing demands of AI and other high-performance computing applications, while contributing to Pennsylvania’s emergence as a centre for next-generation digital infrastructure.
The move comes against the backdrop of significant US federal investment in AI. A recent White House commitment of $90 billion for AI initiatives has created strong political and economic momentum for regional infrastructure projects that can support large-scale computing capacity. Bitfarms says its one-gigawatt development pipeline in Pennsylvania is well placed to take advantage of these conditions.
From energy site to AI campus
Bitfarms intends to repurpose Panther Creek, previously a legacy energy site, into a facility capable of meeting the scale and reliability requirements of advanced AI systems. High-performance computing centres of this type demand substantial electrical capacity, robust cooling systems, and specialist design to accommodate the density and complexity of AI-driven workloads.
T5’s role will be to guide the project through design planning and development approvals, drawing on its experience in constructing and operating facilities for some of the largest technology companies in the US. The company’s customer base includes seven major American hyperscalers, underlining its position in the sector.
Ben Gagnon, chief executive of Bitfarms, said the partnership with T5 was a “critical step” in the company’s HPC strategy. He described the project as an opportunity to lead in next-generation infrastructure by combining scalable energy capacity with specialist facility design.
AI infrastructure demand driving new investment
The partnership reflects a wider shift in data centre development, with AI reshaping the requirements for new facilities. Unlike traditional enterprise data centres, AI-optimised sites must handle more intense computational loads, larger datasets, and rapid scaling as demand grows.
For Pennsylvania, the project could form part of a broader transformation as the state seeks to attract investment in digital infrastructure. Supportive political signals and available power resources are seen as key enablers for such developments.
Tom Mertz, president and chief operating officer of T5 Services, described Panther Creek as “well-positioned” for advanced AI data centre construction and said the company looked forward to supporting Bitfarms’ expansion into this market.
If completed as planned, the site would add significant capacity to the region’s high-performance computing capabilities. It would also illustrate how legacy industrial locations can be reconfigured to serve the needs of AI-era infrastructure – a trend likely to accelerate as demand for computing power continues to rise.
Bitfarms’ plan for Panther Creek combines repurposed energy assets with the design principles required for AI workloads, creating a model that could be replicated in other locations as AI adoption drives unprecedented demand for scalable, resilient, and efficient computing environments.
