MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. — Mingo County Commission President Nathan Brown says he’s heard mixed reviews about a proposed data center within his county.
The West Virginia Department of Enviornmental Protection is considering an air quality permit application from TransGas, who wants to put a data center and a power plant to provide electricity to the center in the Adams Fork area of Mingo County.
Since the legislature passed House Bill 2014 earlier in the year, the DEP has been considering similar applications. HB 2014, otherwise known as the “data centers” or “microgrids” bill, facilitates data center development in the Mountain State. The new law prohibits counties from enforcing regulations to restrict data centers from being created or developed.
However, like Tucker County and other areas in the state that have companies wanting to put data centers in, Mingo County has not been fully on board with the idea.
“So far, I would say it’s about 50/50,” Brown said on MetroNews “Talkline” last week. “The other day, I was in a local grocery store, and I had four different individuals come up to me to discuss it and two were for it and two were against it.”
Brown says the residents apprehensive about the development are concerned about what it will to their environment.
“The individuals that are against it or who want know more about it aren’t necessarily against it because of the economic impact, they just want to know more information,” Brown said. “How will this pollute the water, if any, or the air, if any? What are the noise levels going to be? How do we control that?”
For Brown, he sees the data center as a good development to a struggling area — if all seems safe and clear for the county.
“Certainly, in Mingo County, we want to protect and preserve the resources we have, and we care about our citizens,” Brown said. “Also on the other end, if it could be better and there could be a happy-medium or some kind of resolution to those issues, we welcome the jobs and the industry in Mingo County.”
Brown, who worked in the coal industry for over a decade before he became an attorney, says the coalfields need new business and new opportunities, and this could be a good step forward.
“I think in southern West Virginia, unless investors in the state were to get involved and make some kind of investment in this area, southern West Virginia is going to suffer. It’s suffering now,” Brown said.
The DEP will be holding an in-person hearing relating to the air quality permit for the proposed data center on September 18 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at the Harless Center in Gilbert.