West Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent West Virginia data center news

• Jun 24, 2026

  Construction employment rises in 30 states over past year, AGC reports

  The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia between May 2025 and May 2026.

  • Main announcement: AGC reported state construction employment increased in 30 states and D.C. between May 2025 and May 2026; Texas added 18,700 jobs (2.1%), North Carolina added 13,600, Wisconsin added 9,000, and Wisconsin posted the largest percentage increase (6.2%); California recorded the largest annual decline at 13,100 jobs (−1.5%).
  • Monthly detail and risks: From April to May, construction employment increased in 23 states and D.C., declined in 22 states, and was unchanged in 5 states; monthly leaders included Texas (+3,600) and Wisconsin (+2,900). AGC officials Ken Simonson and Jeffrey D. Shoaf cautioned that opposition to data center projects and uncertainty over federal transportation funding pose threats to future construction job growth.
• Jun 24, 2026

  100MW data center could be built in Wheeling, West Virginia

  Silicon Foundation has acquired a 15-acre, industrial-zoned site at 74 Warwood Avenue in Wheeling, West Virginia to develop a modular data center, with Stokes Inc named as the EPC contractor.

  • Main announcement: Silicon Foundation purchased a 15-acre parcel at 74 Warwood Avenue (former Centre Foundry) to build a 60,000 sq ft (5,575 sqm) data center; the site reportedly has an active 10MW grid connection with a defined path to 20-30MW and a longer-term 100MW campus, and Stokes Inc will act as EPC contractor. Timelines posted by Stokes list Phase 1 Q4 2026 and Phase 2 Q4 2027 but the company did not clarify whether those dates indicate start or completion of works.
  • Background & status: Local/state officials (West Virginia Office of Energy; Wheeling City Council) stated they have not received any applications for a data center project in Warwood/Ohio County; Silicon Foundation described plans as “in development, future details in due course”. Silicon Foundation was founded in January 2026 by Val Holovach and lists the Wheeling project as its sole site; Stokes lists other in-progress projects (12MW Compass Mining Oklahoma, 600MW near Niagara Falls NY, 6MW + BESS Buchanan VA).
• Jun 19, 2026

  Episode for June 19, 2026

  Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon.

  • Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon: Investigative reporting by Jael Holzman (Heatmap News) examined emails between the Governor’s office and Amazon revealing outreach to court new data centers as public opposition to AI data centers in Pennsylvania has grown. Key entity: Office of Governor Josh Shapiro; reporter: Jael Holzman; action: offer to streamline permitting for Amazon (reported, based on reviewed emails).
  • Other environmental actions and notices described: the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comment on a proposed wastewater discharge permit for the Rustic Ridge coal mine that would allow 2.8M gallons of treated wastewater into a Laurel Highlands trout stream; coverage also highlights the American burying beetle recovery effort, the century-old fire tower wildfire-detection system, and a coalition of conservation groups in Westmoreland County seeking property owners to support monarch butterflies.
• Jun 16, 2026

  Google Invests $1.5 Billion in Alabama Data Center Expansion

  Google has announced a $1.5 billion expansion of its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus (announced June 16, 2026).

  • Main announcement: Google will invest $1.5 billion to expand its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus on the former Widow’s Creek coal plant site, repurposing existing infrastructure and electrical lines; the company has contracted to bring 300 MW of new power capacity to the Tennessee Valley region and will cover full costs of the power and infrastructure driven by its operations in line with the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
  • Background & complementary actions: Google is launching a $2 million Energy Impact Fund (in partnership with TVA and the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama) to support weatherization and energy-efficiency services for local schools and income-qualified households primarily in Jackson County; the company also plans to train more than 130,000 Alabamians in digital skills in collaboration with 150+ organizations. The article is an active announcement by Google and references a prior 2025 partnership with Kairos Power and TVA to supply up to 50 MW of advanced nuclear power to data centers in Tennessee and Alabama.
• Jun 15, 2026

  Data Centers’ Next Hurdle: Winning Public Trust and Social License

  The article reports that community opposition is emerging as a decisive constraint on U.S. data center development.

  • Main action: Local communities and voters have begun to block or reshape large data center projects: Monterey Park approved a citywide ban on new data centers; opposition in Festus, Missouri helped thwart a proposed $6 billion campus and unseat incumbent council members; the proposed Stratos project in Utah was reduced from 40,000 acres to about 20,000 acres. The piece also cites a seasonally adjusted annual construction rate of $50.7 billion (April 2026, US Census Bureau) as context for the scale of recent growth.
  • Background & policy details: State-level responses include North Carolina lawmakers considering utility cost-recovery changes for major customers and New York’s proposed Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would pause new large data center permits for one year and require public hearings, host-community benefit programs, and separate utility rate classifications. The article is an analytical report summarizing local disputes, polling (Pew, Gallup), expert comments, and cited regulatory proposals.
• Jun 12, 2026

  Episode for June 12, 2026

  The Allegheny Front published a June 12, 2026 podcast episode covering local and regional environmental topics including balcony solar, a Ken Burns Thoreau documentary, and community events.

  • Main coverage: The episode highlights Pennsylvania lawmakers considering legalization of “balcony solar” (small plug-in PV panels that can power a refrigerator or TV), features interviews about Ken Burns’ new Henry David Thoreau documentary (directors Erik and Chris Ewers), and notes the return of Frog Fest; episode date: June 12, 2026 and runtime 28:58.
  • Additional factual details: The episode references ALCOSAN having spent $750 million of a $4.5 billion sewage-control program, mentions the Trump administration’s $700M package to the coal industry, notes Nippon Steel’s new investment in U.S. Steel’s Pittsburgh-area plants (no dollar amount given in the article), and records Republican candidate Stacy Garrity calling for a pause on data center development to allow local zoning action.
• Jun 4, 2026

  Replacing Diesel in AI-Scale Data Centers: Gas Engines, Turbines, and Steam

  This article analyzes a sector-wide shift: data center operators are moving from diesel backup toward natural gas reciprocating engines, gas turbines, and packaged-boiler-fed steam turbines.

  • Main action: Data centers and AI campuses are substituting diesel with on-site natural gas engines and turbines (and, where gas-turbine lead times are long, packaged boilers feeding steam turbines). Key, verifiable project details: 15 Wärtsilä Energy 18V50SG engines to supply nearly 300 MW at an Ohio project; Caterpillar received a 2 GW order from American Intelligence & Power Corp. for the Monarch Compute Campus (West Virginia) using Cat G3516 fast-response gas generator sets, with the 2,250-acre site potentially adding up to 6 GW more; mobile turbine units (e.g., Dynamis trailer-mounted 8–70 MW units; DT24 = 24 MW at 13.8 kV) and Certarus CNG logistics are being used as interim solutions, with Certarus supplying over 120 MW now and an additional 135 MW project slated to start in 2027.
  • Background and implementation details:Gas-turbine lead times have lengthened (reports of delivery pushed to the end of the decade for some large models), prompting use of mobile turbines and packaged boilers; Rentech notes packaged boiler lead times of ~1 year and states packaged boilers can feed steam turbines at efficiencies comparable to gas turbines during peak hours. The Oracle/OpenAI Stargate Abilene project uses a mix of GE Vernova LM2500XPRESS and Solar Turbines Titan 350 units and could consume as much as 1.2 GW. Analyst Shen Wang (Omdia) projects ~60 GW of new AI data center power capacity per year by 2030. The article is an analytical sector overview rather than a single-entity press announcement.
• Jun 2, 2026 · Google

  We’ve signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with Voltus to create a smart capacity solution for the grid.

  Google has signed a three-year agreement with Voltus to create a smart capacity solution for the PJM grid.

  • Three-year agreement: Google and Voltus will unlock up to 100 megawatts (MW) of new electricity capacity from flexible distributed energy resources in the PJM grid region (which serves 67 million people). Voltus will orchestrate batteries and smart thermostats, reducing demand when the grid needs it and paying participating local homes and businesses. Implementation timeline: three years from the agreement start.
  • Background and supporting detail: The post links a Brattle report estimating U.S. consumers could save more than $100 billion over the next decade through smarter grid utilization; Google frames this as part of broader pilots (including data center demand response) to scale models that strengthen grids serving Google data centers.
• Jun 1, 2026 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

  Targeted Pressure: How Chinese Manufacturing Competition Impacts US States

  The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has published a report finding Chinese industrial policy is reshaping global manufacturing and harming industries across every U.S. state.

  • Main finding & method: The ITIF report (June 1, 2026) analyzes one “national power industry” per state using County Business Patterns employment data, HS/SITC export proxies, and global market-share series to conclude that state-backed Chinese subsidies, export pushes, and overcapacity are driving down prices and pressuring U.S. producers in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, aircraft, and fabricated metals.
  • Key facts, numbers, and timelines:China plans ~$150 billion in semiconductor investment through 2030 vs. $52 billion under the U.S. CHIPS funding; the report cites $63.3 billion Chinese semiconductor spending in H1 2025, TSMC’s $165 billion U.S. investment announcement, GE Appliances’ $490 million Appliance Park investment (2025), and state/national export shares and HS-code trade series used throughout the analyses.
• May 29, 2026

  Episode for May 29, 2026

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced nearly $40 million for Pennsylvania to address PFAS contamination in drinking water while simultaneously rolling back PFAS regulatory limits.

  • EPA announcement: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide nearly $40 million to Pennsylvania to address PFAS contamination in drinking water; the agency also announced a rollback of PFAS regulations (article frames this as concurrent actions by the EPA).
  • Related local and regional details:Pittsburgh airport pollution has been found in a nearby stream (PFAS detection being investigated); researchers reported a link between rising temperatures and kidney disease risk; Governor Josh Shapiro is promoting final data center standards and meeting residents; Pittsburgh Citiparks runs compost drop-off at four farmers’ markets; USDA disaster declaration cites $150–$200 million estimated farmer revenue loss from April frost.