West Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent West Virginia data center news

• Nov 4, 2025

  Power, Proximity, Policy: The Legal Landscape of Siting Data Centers Near Natural Gas Resources

  Michelman Robinson partners Warren Koshofer and Seth Leibenstein analyze the legal and regulatory considerations for siting data centers near U.S. natural gas resources.

  • Main announcement/action: The article provides a legal and practical guide on siting data centers adjacent to natural gas infrastructure, noting concrete facts such as data center loads often exceeding 100 megawatts per site and that natural gas supplies more than 40% of U.S. electricity. It identifies regional hubs (Texas/Permian Basin; Appalachian Basin — Marcellus & Utica; Midcontinent/Great Plains; Rockies — DJ and Powder River basins; Gulf South — Louisiana & Mississippi) and highlights relevant regulators like ERCOT and FERC, plus contractual vehicles such as PPAs and gas tolling arrangements.
  • Background and details: The piece outlines regulatory and compliance requirements (Clean Air Act permitting, Section 401 water quality certifications, state environmental reviews), flags evolving ESG and carbon disclosure pressures (SEC proposals, IRA incentives), and lists states considering restrictions on fossil-fueled generation for new data centers (Oregon, Virginia, Illinois). Contact details for the authors are provided: Warren Koshofer (212-730-7700; wkoshofer@mrllp.com) and Seth Leibenstein (212-730-7700; sliebenstein@mrllp.com).
• Nov 4, 2025

  Essential Utilities Reports Third Quarter 2025 Results

  Essential Utilities announced its third-quarter 2025 financial results and significant strategic actions, including an agreement to invest in a Greene County, Pennsylvania data center project and a definitive all‑stock merger agreement with American Water Works Company, Inc.

  • Quarter results & merger: Reported Q3 2025 net income of $92.1 million and revenues of $477.0 million; board declared a $0.3426 per share quarterly dividend payable Dec 1, 2025; announced a definitive all‑stock, tax‑free merger with American Water Works Company, Inc. creating a pro forma market capitalization of approximately $40 billion and combined enterprise value of approximately $63 billion, with the transaction expected to close by end of Q1 2027, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals (including Hart‑Scott‑Rodino clearance).
  • Capital programs & project details: Plans ~$7.8 billion of regulated infrastructure investment from 2025–2029 (including >300 PFAS projects); expects 2025 regulated infrastructure investments of $1.4–$1.5 billion; Aqua will design, build, and operate an 18 MGD water treatment plant for a 1,400‑acre Greene County data center/power project (operational target mid‑2029); company reaffirmed a 60% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2035 (2019 baseline) and expects to raise ~$350 million equity in 2025 (including $25 million to finance the data center investment).
• Oct 28, 2025

  Data Centers Are Turning to Gas Generators for Prime Power to Eliminate Long Lead Times for Grid Connections

  Data center developers and equipment suppliers are increasingly using natural gas generator sets and packaged generator solutions as near-term prime power to meet rapid AI-driven compute demand.

  • Main announcement/action: Data center developers (notably Joule Capital Partners with Caterpillar and CAT dealer Wheeler Machinery) are deploying natural gas gensets as prime power at large campuses (Millard County, Utah up to 4 GW planned) with fleets of Caterpillar G3520K (2.5 MW each) and >1 GWh battery storage; the Wonder Valley, Alberta project will use onsite natural gas to power an 8-GW data center with the first 1.5 GW scheduled for completion by 2027. Lead times for utility power can be three to seven years, prompting BYOP (bring your own power) and rapid delivery advantages for gas packages.
  • Background and supporting details:Global Market Insights (GMI) valued the global gas generator market at $6.9 billion in 2024, projecting 8.8% CAGR to $16 billion by 2034, with >330 kVA and >750 kVA segments growing fastest; Fidelity Manufacturing expanded staffing from 40 to >500 and opened a second 86,000 sq ft factory (additional 25,000 sq ft production and warehouse planned) to meet data-center-driven demand. Typical large gas engines available up to ~2.5 MW; custom packaged features, ASCE/SEI and local codes, and OSHA/IBC-compliant access (aluminum framing, anti-slip surfaces) are emphasized. Lead times for larger packaged deliveries can be up to one year or more.
• Oct 16, 2025

  Pennsylvania’s $70 Billion Race for America’s Data Centers

  Pennsylvania has announced an ambitious $70 billion state-led initiative to attract major AI data center investments and related infrastructure upgrades, unveiled in July at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University.

  • Main announcement and projects:$70 billion initiative announced in July at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh). Key commitments include $25 billion Aliquippa steel mill redevelopment (Blackstone; joint venture with PPL Corp. on power generation), CoreWeave $6 billion for up to 300 MW in Lancaster, Energy Capital Partners $5 billion at York II Energy Center, PA Data Center Partners & Powerhouse $15 billion three-campus hub near Carlisle with 1.3 GW capacity, and Google/Brookfield 20-year repowering deal for Safe Harbor and Holtwood hydropower totaling 670 MW. The plan also includes workforce development via the Energy Innovation Center Infrastructure Academy and Meta’s $2.5 million investment to CMU’s Schwartz Center for Entrepreneurship.
  • Background and implementation details: The plan is state-coordinated and privately funded (not federally backed like the CHIPS Act). It focuses primarily on power delivery and grid enhancements (rather than direct data center construction), leveraging Pennsylvania’s status as the 2nd-largest U.S. natural gas producer and a major coal producer. The Google-Brookfield arrangement is a 20-year repowering commitment; other projects are announced as multi-billion-dollar investments without explicit completion timelines. Industry sources quoted include Forrester Research (Alvin Nguyen), DVM Power + Control (Bob Ricci), and DataBank (Joe Minarik).
• Sep 10, 2025

  ORNL wins 20 R&D 100 Awards

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced it set a new lab record by winning 20 R&D 100 Awards in the current global competition (ORNL led 17 winners and co-developed three more, with 29 ORNL finalist technologies).

  • Main announcement & highlights: ORNL reports 20 R&D 100 Awards (17 led, 3 co-developed) across energy, materials, manufacturing, computing and emerging technologies; notable technology metrics include rotary transformer motor tested on a 200-kW BorgWarner motor (92–95% efficiency, up to 15% efficiency improvement, up to 25% higher power density, validated over 53,000 cycles ≈ 10 years), LMHE engine with 15% weight reduction and >10% fuel-efficiency improvement, heat pump water heater with 30% improvement in first-hour hot water delivery, and BIPHASICS CO2 capture claiming up to 46% less solvent regeneration energy and 30% lower CO2 capture cost vs MEA.
  • Background, partners and technical details: The announcement lists commercial and research partners and commercialization steps (e.g., The Sexton Corporation commercializing the underwater X-ray system; collaboration with BorgWarner, GM, Cummins, Soteria Battery Innovation Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and academic partners). It documents technology specifics such as HyPoCap (surface area >4,000 m2/g; 610 F/g capacitance), E-GRIMS operating at ~800°C with >90% energy savings and completing graphitization in ~2 hours, Next-Gen Polyiso R-value 8.3 per inch (30% better), Future Foundries reducing production cycles by up to 68%, and simulation tools (DR-Weld, ExaDigiT, PRESTO, Simurgh) with stated performance claims and deployment partners. Funding sources and managing organization (UT-Battelle for DOE Office of Science) are also listed.
• Jul 30, 2025

  Climate Change Solutions - July 29, 2025

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) newsletter highlights recent climate change solutions, legislative updates, and upcoming events.

  • Innovative technologies such as AI-driven disaster resilience tools by U.S. National Laboratories and upgraded air filters to reduce wildfire smoke injuries are featured.
  • Legislative progress includes the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act passed by the House, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act advancing with job creation and solar capacity details, and the Fire Ready Nation Act advancing in the Senate to enhance wildfire forecasting.
  • Upcoming briefings focus on Ohio River restoration and the intersection of AI and climate policy.
  • The newsletter also provides links to recordings of the 28th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and related policy forums.
  • EESI President Daniel Bresette is quoted on energy and AI topics; contact details and social media links for EESI are provided.
• Jun 25, 2025

  The race to AI: Expect the unexpected

  Schneider Electric commits to working with partners like Nvidia and data center operators to support AI demand while developing and executing sustainability strategies.

  • Main announcement/action: Schneider Electric will work with partners (including Nvidia) and data center operators to deliver power and sustainability solutions for AI workloads, including on-site Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and strategies to manage emergency generators using biodiesel; the company frames this as supporting immediate AI demand while transitioning away from higher-carbon “bridge power“ sources.
  • Background and concrete details: The article notes Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley (processing about 70% of the world’s internet traffic) is considering using power from coal-fired plants in West Virginia, and a planned 360MW data center campus in Abilene, TX (Stargate JV) has applied to build a natural gas plant as bridge power with plans to replace it later; the piece also cites use of VPPAs/RECs, the role of BESS, and an Nvidia GPU backlog until 2026 as concrete implementation/timing details.
• Apr 11, 2025 · Telborg

  Senate Passes Microgrid, Budget Bills on Penultimate Day of Session - Wrap Up

  The West Virginia Senate passed House Bill 2014 to promote microgrid development and data center growth in the state.

  • House Bill 2014 establishes a Certified Microgrid Program within the Division of Economic Development to attract data centers powered by microgrids.
  • The bill allocates property tax revenue generated by the program: 50% to Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund, 40% to the county hosting the data center, 5% distributed per capita to all counties, 3% to Low Income Energy Assistance Program, and 2% to a power grid stabilization fund.
  • The Department of Commerce Secretary is authorized to certify microgrid districts based on significant positive economic impact.
  • The fiscal year 2026 budget totals $5.3 billion with detailed allocations to various state departments including $7.9 million to the Department of Environmental Protection.
  • The budget includes special revenue appropriations totaling $12 million for various state services and $33 million for the Hope Scholarship from General and Lottery Revenue Funds.

  This legislation supports infrastructure modernization through microgrids and data center development, with budget provisions reflecting state priorities for economic development and energy programs.

• Apr 7, 2025

  Request for Information on Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure on DOE Lands

  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to explore opportunities for AI infrastructure development on its lands. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance AI capabilities in the U.S. and maintain leadership in the field. The RFI targets industry input on potential development approaches and operational models for AI data centers at select DOE sites, aiming for operational commencement by the end of 2027. Responses to this RFI are due by May 7, 2025.

• Mar 20, 2025

  A capacidade dos Data Centers vem aumentando, assim como o investimento e o uso da terra

  The article discusses the increasing capacity and investment in Data Centers in the United States, attributed mainly to a surge in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence applications. By the end of 2024, Data Centers had reached over 92 GW of capacity, with additional monthly growth surpassing 7 GW. Major companies like Meta and Amazon are investing heavily in renewable energy to meet their electricity consumption, including significant solar projects in Texas and Mississippi. The trend highlights the urgent market expansion and infrastructure challenges for energy supply.