In early April, Switzerland-headquartered Hitachi Energy announced that it would increase its Pennsylvania investments to more than $70 million, across three facilities. The news follows last September’s announcement, made at Climate Week NYC, detailing the company’s $155 million investment to bolster its American manufacturing capacity.
Among the facilities awarded last September was the company’s Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, plant, which manufactures high-voltage switchgear and breakers. At the time, the $60 million investment was estimated to double the facility’s manufacturing capacity. Hitachi Energy allocated a significant portion of this investment to a new gas management system, which will facilitate the production of the company’s EconiQ switchgear. The eco-efficient EconiQ technology does not contain any sulfur hexafluoride, which the company labels “the most potent greenhouse gas,” and therefore cuts carbon emissions associated with the production process.
The Pennsylvania facility is an essential component in the domestic manufacturing chain for high-voltage switchgear and breakers. Switchgear sends electricity to different parts of a machine, thereby ensuring regulation and protection. In addition to contributing to efficient and optimized energy usage, they can be used to cut off power to specific pieces that require repair or maintenance. Circuit breakers, a component of the overall switchgear, interrupt power flows during abnormal events such as overloads and short circuits, thereby preventing damage to equipment.
In March, Hitachi Energy also announced that it would invest over $250 million to expand global transformer production, building on $1.5 billion already announced for transformers last year.
As CEO Andreas Schierenbeck explained, “Demand for electrical equipment, including transformers and switchgear, is surging globally, and significantly in North America, and one of our highest priorities is making sure that we are growing our capabilities to address our customers’ present and future needs.”
Photo Courtesy Hitachi Energy
With the latest update, Hitachi Energy says that it is the “largest investment to date in high-voltage products in North America.” The Mount Pleasant location will further increase its production capacity, featuring a new training center, an expansion and upgrade of product lines, and additional renovations. Construction is expected to commence this year, with full production capacity anticipated to be achieved by next year.
A portion of the investment will fund the construction of a new factory approximately seven miles from the Mount Pleasant location, in Hunker. The new plant will also manufacture high-voltage components, in addition to housing a research and development laboratory and a customer experience center. These features will contribute to the location’s status as a “hub for innovation and collaboration.”
Additionally, the company will consolidate its high-voltage services businesses at a single facility in Greensburg, PA to improve operational efficiency.
Luca Calamari, general manager of Hitachi’s high-voltage business in North America, explained, “This investment in our operations in Pennsylvania reflects our commitment to delivering reliable and resilient technologies that will power a grid with the lowest carbon footprint.”
According to Anthony Allard, executive vice president at Hitachi Energy, the investment comes at the perfect time, when demand for such infrastructure surged unexpectedly: “All of a sudden, the world started to invest much more in the grid. And the industry was kind of caught by surprise, including ourselves.”
Photo Courtesy Hitachi Energy
Altogether, the investment is expected to help retain 299 jobs in Pennsylvania and create 100 new jobs, with at least 58 of these new positions headed to the Mount Pleasant facility. Pennsylvania has earmarked nearly $330,000 in funding for Hitachi Energy. The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) provided the company with a $184,000 Pennsylvania First grant and a $145,000 Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA) grant to support employee training at Mount Pleasant. The Pennsylvania First Program was established to promote investment and job creation in the state, while WEDnetPA focuses on skill development and training for both new and existing employees within the state’s business community.
The investment is critical to Hitachi’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy. As DCED Secretary Rick Siger summarized, “We know supporting Pennsylvania’s robust energy sector is critical to our long-term economic prosperity, which is why we included it as one of the 5 key sectors in our Economic Development Strategy. The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in companies like Hitachi Energy that are helping bolster this vital sector, create good jobs, and grow our economy.”
Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation, added, “Manufacturing is our second-largest employment sector, so this expansion to produce more switchgear and breakers is certainly in Westmoreland’s wheelhouse.”
Governor Josh Shapiro’s BusinessPA team helped coordinate the project. Gov. Shapiro said, “When a global technology leader like Hitachi Energy decides to invest and expand in our Commonwealth, it sends a strong message to companies across the nation and around the world that Pennsylvania is open for business. Since day one, my Administration has been laser-focused on getting stuff done for Pennsylvania and positioning us as a national energy leader and a great place to grow a business – and today’s announcement clearly shows we’re making that happen.” The hope is that other companies in the state will follow suit, as Pennsylvania positions itself to be an energy leader.
Photo Courtesy Hitachi Energy
Many legislators have advocated for enhanced domestic energy production and manufacturing. U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), for example, recently introduced the Renewable Natural Gas Incentive Act of 2025, which would create a tax credit for renewable natural gas to support its production and create jobs across sectors, including agriculture and transportation.
Other Pennsylvania Congressmen have advocated for more job creation in the state. U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), for example, introduced the Ensuring Opportunities in Online Training Act in March, which seeks to extend funding from federal workforce development programs to online training programs.
The National Electrical Contractors Association, meanwhile, supported U.S. Rep. Robert Bresnahan’s (PA-08) campaign. He remembered, “They were the ones to back me up on Capitol Hill and say, ‘Yeah, Rob Bresnahan is the real deal. He’s a real-world guy from Pennsylvania, born and raised, he went to the University of Scranton, he’s passionate about his community, and is in favor of small business. He genuinely cares for the people in the 8th District, entrepreneurs and tradespeople.’”
Overall, Hitachi Energy’s announcements help position these districts, and Pennsylvania at large, to be a “strategic hub for high-voltage manufacturing and service in North America,” the company describes, meeting the needs of the energy transition while supporting local employment and economic growth.
