Only two of 10 West Virginia data center proposals have state approval, as local power concerns keep growing

Approval gap raises power questions

West Virginia’s data center push has drawn 10 identified proposals, while only two had been reported as certified under high-impact rules by late June amid power concerns.

The gap has raised questions about electricity demand, utility service, microgrid use, and whether households may face project-related infrastructure costs during county reviews and public meetings in local communities.

A new law reshaped reviews

House Bill 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act, created West Virginia’s certified microgrid framework and the High Impact Data Center Program after it was passed in April 2025.

The law lets qualifying campuses seek state certification while setting rules for power plans, utility contracts, tax treatment, and agency support during development at participating West Virginia sites.

Certification follows a set path

State law requires a high-impact data center to have at least 90 megawatts of total critical IT load placed into service on or after July 1, 2025.

After a complete submission, the Secretary of Commerce has 14 days to issue certification if a project meets the qualifying standards and provides the required documentation for state agency review.

Microgrids remain the pressure point

House Bill 2014 encouraged microgrid development, but it does not require every certified high-impact data center to bring its own dedicated power source before receiving state approval.

Energy Efficient West Virginia Legal and Policy Director Emmett Pepper warned that utility-connected projects may expose ratepayers without stronger protections around upgrades and service needs for local households.

Berkeley County led approvals

Penzance Management’s Bedington Campus in Berkeley County became West Virginia’s first High Impact Intelligence Center after Governor Patrick Morrisey announced the designation on February 26, 2026, in Charleston.

The planned campus covers 548 acres in the Falling Waters District and would reach about 1.9 million square feet, with 600 megawatts of IT capacity at full completion.

Berkeley project may use utilities

Governor Patrick Morrisey described the Berkeley County campus as likely grid-connected during a February 2026 press conference, leaving local utilities central to power planning for residents and officials.

Morrisey maintained that project builders, not residents, would pay the infrastructure costs associated with the campus, while Energy Efficient West Virginia sought stronger protections for existing utility customers under state law.

Fun fact: Data centers can use 10 to 50 times more energy per floor area than a typical commercial office building uses.

Putnam County added Google

Governor Patrick Morrisey announced on March 27, 2026, that Google had purchased land in Putnam County and received approval for a multibillion-dollar data center project near Buffalo, West Virginia.

The company bought about 1,700 acres, while building size stayed undisclosed, and detailed construction plans remained limited during the early-stage process as local discussions continued through late June.

Little-known fact: West Virginia is the only state completely within the Appalachian Region, giving its Mountain State identity a truly statewide foundation.

Google outlined utility promises

Google is committed to paying for 100% of the electricity used by the Putnam County facility and funding the necessary electric, water, and sewer upgrades tied to the project as planning advances.

The company also pledged to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030, while residents continued asking about utility costs and environmental effects near the Buffalo area.

Public details widened in Buffalo

Google launched a Buffalo project website in June 2026 with explanations of data center operations, energy plans, water management, workforce programs, and a conceptual site plan for residents.

Putnam County Development Authority Executive Director Morganne Tenney described the site-plan release as unusual, saying she had not seen another company publicly share comparable detail at that stage.

Local control remains limited

House Bill 2014 restricts counties and municipalities from applying many zoning, lighting, land-use, building-permit, inspection, and code-enforcement rules to certified projects unless specific state exceptions apply under law.

That structure places more review authority with state agencies, making certification, utility agreements, and environmental requirements central to community oversight during project planning, public discussions, and early construction reviews.

Tax rules split new revenue

West Virginia’s formula sends 50% of positive tax increments to the Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund, 30% to the situs county, and 10% across counties based on population shares.

The remaining 10% is divided equally between the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund and the Electric Grid Stabilization and Security Fund, upon certification under House Bill 2014 for that project.

Donald Trump reference frames AI push

Governor Patrick Morrisey linked West Virginia’s data center recruitment to President Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence agenda while presenting the state’s push toward cloud computing and advanced manufacturing investment.

Morrisey’s remarks connected the projects to federal technology priorities, while his broader message focused on private infrastructure investment, workforce plans, and energy planning.

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Eight proposals still await certification

By late June, eight of the 10 identified West Virginia data center proposals had not been reported as having state high-impact certification, keeping approval questions active locally.

The next questions focus on power sources, utility contracts, water plans, local costs, and whether future projects seek microgrids or rely on existing systems as more details emerge.

Want to read more about the latest developments? Check out how Florida’s TikTok lawsuit turned teen social media rules into a statewide enforcement test.

What stands out more in West Virginia, the slow pace of data center approvals or growing concerns over power demand and local utility impacts? Share your thoughts.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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