President Donald Trump and the leaders of the country's largest energy and technology companies are gathering at CMU for today's innovation and energy summit.
U.S. Senator Dave McCormick says investments are coming to Pennsylvania are up to $90-billion.
One possibility is a former steel mill site in Aliquippa.
A local partnership hopes to transform it into a multi-billion-dollar data processing center.
Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker shared his vision with KDKA Radio's Rob Pratte.
“We produced steel here in Aliquippa and now we can pivot and become one of the data hubs for A.I., not just in Western Pennsylvania and Beaver County but in the world,” said Walker.
If the site is developed, it will create thousands of construction jobs, hundreds of permanent positions and generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for Aliquippa.
Former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says the region has lost a lot of people due to the demise of the steel, and he's reaching across the aisle to give credit to Pennsylvania's newest senator -a Republican - for bringing about what he calls the dawning of a new era.
“You really have to get Senator McCormick a lot of credit, he comes in, guns a blazin’ as a brand-new senator and puts this thing together,” Fitzgerald told KDKA Radio’s Marty Griffin.
Fitzgerald adds something like this summit is no place for partisan politics.
“There’s no such thing as a Democratic job or a Republican job or an Independent job,” said Fitzgerald. “What we all want, as elected officials, as citizens, jobs and opportunities for us and our families.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey tells The Big K Morning Show he supports not only the summit but the 90-billion-dollar investment:
“I think it’s great that energy leaders from the energy sector are here today at CMU, I’m definitely not against that,” said Mayor Gainey. “I’m for that. I’m for them being here. I’m for the investment that they see here, I’m grateful for CMU, for holding this energy summit.”
Gainey added he also understands why there are protesters on CMU’s campus, demonstrating against the policies of President Trump.
Gainey is asking demonstrators to keep the protests peaceful.