West Virginia has been awash in data center developments in recent weeks:
Last week, state officials announced that Google has purchased land in Putnam County for a multibillion-dollar data center project.
In Mason County this month, the global AI infrastructure company Nscale announced plans to operate the Monarch Computer Campus.
And late last month, state officials announced a data center site in Berkeley County, spearheaded by the development company Penzance Management, which is a real estate owner, operator, developer and fund manager.
“Many of us don’t fully understand it,” said Ashley Horst, executive director of The Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University, speaking on MetroNews Talkline.
“We don’t understand what the impact of this is on energy, on water. We don’t know exactly what kinds of jobs are going to be generated or not. And there’s a lot of misinformation or disinformation out there that we really would like the opportunity to clean up.”
West Virginians who are trying to make sense of the flurry of such data center developments have a helpful resource.
The Stubblefield Institute is hosting an event called “Data Centers in our Backyard – Jobs, Infrastructure & Community Impact.”
The panel discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday is meant to highlight diverse perspectives on West Virginia data center construction to help people understand how they will be affected.
Panelists include Jefferson County Commissioner Cara Keys; Tucker United executive director Amy Margolies; Chris Morris, the data economy office director for the state Division of Economic Development; and Dado Slezak, QTS executive vice president of utility innovation.
Questions were solicited from the public to shape the discussion. The moderator is Steve Pearson, editor of Observer Weekly.
The event in Shepherdstown is sold out, but people can watch a livestream on MetroNews Television and the MetroNews Television YouTube page. Local radio stations like WEPM, WICL, WLTF and WXDC also plan coverage.
Data centers are enormous energy users, and that is only expected to grow as artificial intelligence and other computing innovations gain traction.
They are prolific in states like neighboring Virginia, but they are also controversial among residents because of their aesthetics and noise. They are not major employers but can contribute significantly to local property taxes.
“This panel brings together voices from across West Virginia to explore what data center development really means for our communities and our state,” Horst said.
“By elevating public questions and engaging leaders from government, industry and advocacy, listeners can expect a conversation that digs under the surface and the hype into an issue that will shape the Mountain State’s future. We hope listeners come away with a better understanding of what data centers mean for their community.”