West Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent West Virginia data center news

• Sep 25, 2026

  Episode for September 25, 2026

  Governor Shapiro and Pennsylvania utility regulators are discussing AI-driven data center growth and its potential grid impacts in Pennsylvania. The item appears to be a podcast episode and linked commentary, not a first-time corporate announcement.

  • At an AI conference in Pittsburgh, Governor Shapiro said AI has promise but that “we cannot ignore the warning signs” and “downplay the risks of the industry.”
  • The piece highlights community pushback in Westmoreland County and cites Pennsylvania utility regulators warning that unchecked data center growth could threaten regional grid reliability within five years; it also references a related article saying new data centers in the PJM region could use more electricity than Pennsylvania uses today.
• Sep 24, 2026

  Louisiana’s next big industrial play could be nuclear

  The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is weighing a proposed $50 billion federal plan to create three nuclear innovation campuses in the United States.

  • The Department of Energy’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus initiative would combine advanced reactors, nuclear fuel recycling, and data centers at three hubs, with candidate host states including Louisiana, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho, and West Virginia.
  • Supporters say each hub could generate up to $10 billion in long-term local tax revenue and 25,000 jobs; the plan would also involve states agreeing to store nuclear waste and comes amid debate over the stalled Yucca Mountain project and federal responsibility for spent fuel.
• Sep 21, 2026

  Google-backed pilot demonstrates hourly carbon accounting for US BESS using granular certificates

  Google and its partners have announced a US battery storage pilot that created what they describe as the first environmental revenue stream for BESS assets, alongside NeoVolta’s US$53 million capacity reservation for Ontario AI data centre projects.

  • The three-month pilot used hourly, time-stamped Granular Certificates to time-shift solar energy through esVolta’s Anole (240MW/480MWh) and Burksol (100MW/200MWh) projects, with Quintrace providing verification software and LevelTen Energy managing registry accounts and the transaction framework.
  • The pilot covered 9.2GWh of charge/discharge activity and was positioned against emerging hourly reporting expectations from SBTi and the GHG Protocol; separately, NeoVolta Power agreed to supply BESS equipment for Northern Ontario Edge AI data centre projects in calendar year 2027 under a US$53 million binding capacity reservation, with a broader framework contemplating 1.1GWh and US$200 million of potential supply.
• Sep 18, 2026

  US ROUNDUP: Eos draws US$87 million DOE loan, FlexGen-Lightshift expand to 16 projects, Georgia Power energises 128MW facility

  This roundup reports three separate announcements by Eos Energy Enterprises, FlexGen Power Systems with Lightshift Energy, and Georgia Power.

  • Eos Energy Enterprises received a US$87 million advance under the second tranche of its DOE loan agreement; the reimbursement covers 80% of eligible costs at the Thorn Hill manufacturing facility in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
  • The company says Line 2 entered commercial production in June 2026 and is ramping toward ~2GWh annual capacity, with Eos expecting ~4GWh across two lines after Line 1 is relocated; separately, FlexGen and Lightshift are expanding to 16 BESS projects across Massachusetts, Virginia and Vermont, and Georgia Power has brought the 128MW Robins Battery Facility online near Warner Robins, Georgia.
• Sep 17, 2026

  Coalitions, states rush to attract talent to skilled trades

  The article reports on growing interest in skilled trades in the U.S. as AI and retirements intensify workforce shortages, while highlighting several education and industry initiatives.

  • A Thumbtack survey of over 2,400 U.S. adults found 82% of Gen Z believe skilled trades offer better long-term job security, and nearly half have started learning or are considering a career change.
  • The U.S. Department of Education launched the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge in January and in June announced $15 million in prize funds and technical assistance for 10 states; Lowe’s Foundation launched a trades coalition with more than 75 organizations aiming to train 1 million people by 2035. Maryland’s Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 486 accepted 170 apprentices out of 1,300 applicants and plans a new training center in late 2028.
• Sep 9, 2026

  Google to buy energy from solar-storage project at former coal mine

  Google has announced that it will purchase the energy, capacity and clean energy attributes from MN8 Energy’s Mammoth Solar project in West Virginia, with Eos Energy Enterprises supplying zinc-based long-duration storage.

  • The project includes 86 MW of utility-scale solar, 10 MW/100 MWh of zinc-based storage, and 70 MW/280 MWh of lithium-ion storage; solar is expected online in 2028, with storage in 2029 and 2030.
  • The release says the project is designed to match clean energy capacity with Google’s regional data center load profiles and add capacity in the PJM region; it also references a separate Google-backed 300 MW/30 GWh iron-air battery project in Minnesota.
• Sep 9, 2026

  Loudoun Updates: Are Data Centers in Loudoun County Finally at a Tipping Point?

  Piedmont Environmental Council sent a Loudoun County update email highlighting new and pending actions on data center regulation, transmission lines, rural zoning, transportation, and state legislative wins.

  • The newsletter says Loudoun is considering new data center regulations, including whether to end grandfathered by-right status early, increase rules for backup generators, and possibly pause local data center and substation applications while zoning amendments are completed.
  • It also notes a Vantage Data Centers town hall on Aug. 24, a 3.25 million square foot Spring Valley Tech Park rezoning request, proposed 765kV Valley North transmission routes, and the Golden-Mars line still under Virginia Supreme Court review.
  • The email includes upcoming meetings and public hearings in September 2026, plus state-level updates such as SB 340/HB 508 agrivoltaics legislation, a new Oak Hill state park, and funding for a Fauquier/Loudoun groundwater study.
• Sep 3, 2026

  Google partners with MN8 Energy and Eos on West Virginia solar-plus-LDES project

  Google, MN8 Energy, and Eos Energy Enterprises have announced the Mammoth Solar project in Kanawha County, West Virginia, combining solar, long-duration energy storage, and lithium-ion storage. The announcement also includes a separate Google PPA with Fervo Energy in Utah.

  • Mammoth Solar will combine 86MW solar, 10MW/100MWh Eos Z3 LDES, and 70MW/280MWh Li-ion BESS on the PJM grid; commercial operation is expected in 2028, with storage follow-on in 2029 and 2030.
  • MN8 says the project could involve up to US$350 million of capital investment and about US$4 million in property tax revenue over the first 20 years; construction is projected to create roughly 200 jobs.
  • Google will buy the project’s energy, capacity, and clean energy attributes; MN8 says it is the first commercial-scale LDES deployment in West Virginia and the first project under the previously announced 750MWh MN8-Eos master supply agreement from October 2025.
  • Separately, Google announced a 396MW PPA with Fervo Energy for the Cape Station enhanced geothermal project in Utah, with an option to expand by about 600MW by June 2030.
• Sep 2, 2026 · Google

  Our new partnership brings long-duration energy storage to West Virginia.

  Google has announced a new collaboration with MN8 Energy and Eos Energy Enterprises to support a multi-technology clean energy project on the PJM grid.

  • The project will pair utility-scale solar with short-duration lithium-ion batteries and long-duration zinc-hybrid batteries to provide round-the-clock clean power for local digital infrastructure, including a planned Google facility in West Virginia.
  • Google says this is the first-of-its-kind deployment of Eos’s zinc-hybrid batteries, which are manufactured in Pennsylvania; the announcement also frames the effort as a model for combining proven and emerging technologies to strengthen the grid.
• Aug 28, 2026

  Episode for August 28, 2026

  The Allegheny Front has published an episode covering archaeology, environmental policy, coal-pollution art, and a potential Allegheny County data center ban.

  • The episode highlights a new playbook from PennFuture urging Pennsylvania lawmakers to move away from fossil fuels and toward renewables, including legalizing community solar.
  • It also notes that Allegheny County Council will consider a proposal to ban controversial AI data centers on county property; the episode links to related stories on Lake Erie archaeology, Franklin Kury, and an artist donating proceeds from drawings made with pigment sourced from acid mine drainage pollution.