Allegheny County pushes to become a clean tech hub
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Pittsburgh manufacturing shouldn't only be known for steel — the region should build a new industry, says Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
The big picture: Pittsburgh's economy has mostly moved out of the shadow of steel and heavy industry and is looking to forge a new future for blue-collar work.
Driving the news: Innamorato on Thursday launched ACT NOW, a strategy to position the county as a world leader in clean tech and advanced manufacturing.
Zoom in: ACT NOW creates an action team focused on aligning the interests of industry, organized labor, and the region's large universities, like Carnegie Mellon.
- It also aims to funnel public investment to match its objectives, make sure investments have a broad public benefit, and prioritize local clean tech firms that contract with the county.
Zoom out: Julia Meisel of the Rocky Mountain Institute said regions with similarities to Pittsburgh are seeing success in building clean tech and sustainable energy industries.
- Raleigh-Durham, about the same size as the Pittsburgh metro, has garnered nearly 10 times as much investment in clean tech as Pittsburgh, she said.
- Houston, also home to a massive natural-gas sector, has attracted six large energy headquarters relocations focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels.
- Fellow Rust Belt city Cleveland's regional partners are collaborating to attract advanced manufacturing.
Case in point: The order looks to capitalize on other clean tech investments, like battery storage company Eos Energy Enterprises on the North Side and the advanced manufacturing hub Neighborhood 91 next to the Pittsburgh International Airport.
- Allegheny County has already invested $15 million in related efforts, including the expansion of Neighborhood 91.
- The county established a climate action plan last year.
What they're saying: Reeja Jayan, CEO and founder of battery performance startup SeaLion Energy, said Pittsburgh is the most helpful area she has worked in.
- "Everyone here wants to open doors and help you," she said.
Context: Annual global investment in clean technology surpassed $2 trillion in 2025 and is expected to grow further, according to Innamorato's executive order.
Between the lines: CMU's Costa Samaras, who worked in former President Biden's clean energy transition office, said CMU, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of West Virginia combined spent over $2 billion annually on research.
- "We have a leading edge in AI, in robotics and in manufacturing. But you have to build stuff, and there is no better place to do this than here," said Samaras.
Reality check: Pennsylvania has already attracted $90 billion in AI and energy investment, mostly for natural gas and data center development, which have mixed environmental records.
The bottom line: Innamorato said companies like Eos and Westinghouse are already doing this work, but she wants it to grow.
- "Allegheny County already has the foundation. We already have the energy to fuel these industries."
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Neighborhood 91 is next to the Pittsburgh International Airport (not in Hazelwood).