Jul 17, 2025 By Paul Paterra 4 min read

Tuesday’s expansion announcement of a manufacturing plant in the Mon Valley – an area still reeling from the loss of two major employers – was met with unbridled glee from members of the business community and beyond.

GE Vernova announced an up to $100 million investment in Pennsylvania facilities, including creating 250 new jobs in the next two years by expanding its power grid equipment manufacturing plant in Speers. It’s part of the company’s plan to modernize the electric grid and meet growing demand.

The expansion is part of $90 billion in investments announced at what was billed as the first-ever Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit held Tuesday at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The event was hosted by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and attended by President Donald Trump.

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,” Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, said on the Business Wire. “These new jobs and investment reflect our ongoing commitment to not only building grid infrastructure with American workers, but reindustrializing 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.”

The news is welcome in the Mon Valley, especially the Charleroi area, which saw the closing of Quality Pasta in September, resulting in the loss of at least 100 jobs, and World Kitchen Plant, which produced its last Corelle products in April at a plant that had been in operation since 1893. Anchor Hocking moved Corelle operations to Lancaster, Ohio, putting almost 300 people out of work.

“We’re just giddy over here,” said Kristin Hopkins, Charleroi council president. “After losing jobs at both Quality Pasta and the Corelle Plant, not only will this be good for Speers, but it’s going to be good for all of us in the Greater Charleroi area. We know what a great location we have. We know what a great workforce we have. It was an excellent decision on GE’s part.”

Hopkins-Calcek said the GE Vernova plant in Speers is well-regarded.

“There are career-oriented jobs there,” she said. “From what I’ve heard, employees are happy to work there, proud to work there. They’re doing good work. We get the privilege of being involved in the infrastructure of the electrical grid of our great country. … I think it’s a great investment – $100 million in the workforce. We love it.”

Jamie Colecchi, CEO of the Mon Valley Alliance, said the organization worked with GE Vernova on its purchase of land in Speers to undertake this expansion, as well as helping the company secure an Enterprise Zone Tax credit.

“It’s great news coming on the heels of job losses in Charleroi with Corelle and Quality Pasta,” he said. “This is a way of recovering those jobs, if not gaining a couple more. They’re moving ahead as we would hope and expect.”

GE Vernova, the energy spin-off of GE, plans to add about 700 new jobs across multiple factories in Pennsylvania over the next two years to help modernize the grid for economic growth, strengthen domestic supply chains and boost national security.

The expansion of the local plant builds on the company’s $600 million, multiyear investment announced in January, originally expected to create 1,500 new jobs across numerous U.S. factories.

“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.”

Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, said the move is the “shot in the arm” the Mon Valley needs.

“This is fantastic news, not only for GE Vernova but for the continuing transformation of the Mon Valley,” Kotula said. “I think that’s what the Mon Valley needs right now, a transformational project that builds on our manufacturing heritage, but at the same time takes us to a new level of advanced manufacturing. The fact that they’re building new switch guard systems to support the power grid long term, which is getting into artificial intelligence and energy usage, I think positions the Mon Valley extremely well for future opportunities.”

GE Vernova’s technology helps produce more than half of the power in the United States. The company employs more than 18,000 workers at 18 U.S. manufacturing facilities across the nation.