Homer City Generation, L.P., today announced that it has simultaneously completed its large-scale demolition and mass-excavation efforts ahead of its scheduled benchmark. The completion of this site-readiness work marks a significant project milestone and reflects the work of Homer City Generation’s best-in-class partners, including Independence Excavating, Kovalchick Corporation, Kiewit Power Constructors Co. and Winter Environmental, as well as numerous local subcontractors, vendors, business leaders and community partners.
Over the past nine months, Homer City Generation’s demolition partner, Independence Excavating, led a workforce of approximately 130 skilled union personnel and a fleet of more than 65 major pieces of equipment operating across multiple shifts to complete structural demolition and recycling, site decommissioning, foundation demolition and concrete processing. During this process, Independence Excavating and its partners accomplished the following:
- 112,000+ Tons of Scrap Materials Recycled: The project successfully processed and recycled more than 112,000 gross tons of scrap material – including over 32,000 tons in March 2026 – which will be repurposed to meet the increasing demand of the steel supply chain.
- Massive Excavation Completed: Crews moved approximately 3 million cubic yards of material – an amount comparable to the volume of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
- Strong Safety Record Maintained: The team maintained steady progress while achieving zero safety, environmental or health incidents to date.
- Advanced Technology Utilized: Innovative engineering methods, including the use of robotics in structural demolition, played a key role in ensuring worker safety and operational efficiency throughout the demolition work.
The completion of the site’s demolition and excavation work follows recent project milestones, including the commencement of vertical construction, which began in April 2026 with the Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) building marking the first structure to rise from the site. The project also continues to scale up its workforce with nearly 1,300 skilled workers currently on site, including electricians, carpenters and boilermakers.
Corey Hessen, CEO of Homer City Generation, L.P., commented:
“The completion of demolition and excavation at the site is the product of careful planning, strong execution and the strength of our partnerships. Completion of site-readiness efforts ahead of schedule means more workers on site sooner, more local businesses engaged and a more immediate economic impact across the region. We thank Independence Excavating, Kovalchick Corporation and our other partners for their hard work, dedication and professionalism – these are exactly the types of partnerships that make this project possible each and every day.”
Leo Slansky, Project Manager for Independence Excavating, commented:
“Independence Excavating extends its thanks to the Homer City Generation leadership team for bringing us into this project and to the 130-member demolition team that made this job possible. It has been an honor to play a key role in transforming the site’s future through structural demolition and recycling, site decommissioning, foundation demolition and concrete processing – all of which help pave the way for new construction. Despite harsh winter weather conditions and a tight schedule, our team was able to stay ahead of schedule, and we are proud to have completed the work safely with zero lost-time incidents and zero recordables during over 250,000 man-hours.”
Nathan Kovalchick, Chief Operating Officer of Kovalchick Corporation, commented:
“For 100 years of our company’s history, four generations of the Kovalchick family have worked to support the power generation capacity in our region. Since 1968, we have provided recycling services to the former Homer City Generating Station, and we are proud to have been chosen to contribute to its transformation into a new economic engine for our county. The demolition project, perfectly executed by Independence Excavating, is one of the most exciting chapters in the story of the former plant, and we want to thank Independence for including a local recycler. Our employees, including truck drivers, equipment operators, laborers and office staff, all deserve the credit for this accomplishment.”
About Homer City Generation
Homer City Generation is focused on transforming legacy energy infrastructure into state-of-the-art energy assets. Located in Indiana County, PA, the Homer City Energy Campus will be the largest of its kind in North America upon completion.
For more information, visit: www.homercityredevelopment.com or email press@homercityredevelopment.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602762299/en/
Media gallery
