West Virginia Data Center News

Mar 27, 2026

Form Energy signs 12GWh agreement to supply multi-day iron-air batteries to new US AI data centres

Form Energy has signed a 12GWh supply agreement with Crusoe for iron-air batteries, announced at CERAWeek 2026.

Main announcement: The agreement secures 12GWh of iron-air battery capacity for Crusoe with secured volumes, pricing and delivery terms beginning in 2027; Form Energy said the batteries will be manufactured at its Form 1 factory in West Virginia.
Background and details: The article references Form Energy’s other 2026 commitments including a 30GWh element in the Google–Xcel Energy multi-technology supply deal (enabling 100-hour dispatch of 300MW) and a planned 10MW / 1,000MWh project with FuturEnergy Ireland expected online in 2029; the Crusoe agreement is significant but prospective until first projects are underway, and questions remain about round-trip efficiency (RTE) of iron-air technology.

Mar 24, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - March 24, 2026

EESI published its “Climate Change Solutions” newsletter summarizing recent analysis, events, and legislative activity related to energy grid upgrades, data center impacts, and climate information integrity.

Main announcement: EESI highlights solutions including reconductoring to expand U.S. grid capacity, coverage of data center noise and water use issues, and a podcast on climate data integrity; the newsletter also notes EESI hosted a Rapid Readout on the repeal of the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding (readout available via EESI).
Additional details and timeline: Congressional actions noted include passage/introduction of bills: H.R.2709 (Save Our Sequoias Act) passed House, H.R.528 (Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025) passed House, reintroduction of S.4096 / H.R.7921 (Rural Decentralized Water Systems Reauthorization Act), and introduction of H.R.7977 (Energy Bills Relief Act). Upcoming EESI events: Tracking Down Data on April 23, Water Infrastructure briefing on May 7, and EXPO 2026 on June 24.

Mar 13, 2026

Episode for March 13, 2026

Penn State has launched Prepare PA, a statewide initiative to help communities build climate resiliency against increased extreme weather and flooding.

Prepare PA launched by Penn State: Penn State is hosting a new state-wide initiative called Prepare PA to help Pennsylvania communities prepare for the climate crisis (focused on extreme weather and flooding) and build local climate resiliency.
Additional verified actions and details from the episode: Pasa Sustainable Agriculture renegotiated and had a $59 million federal contract with the USDA reinstated after funding was clawed back last spring; a state House committee is advancing measures to help towns set guidelines on data center construction; Allegheny Land Trust partnered with the Pittsburgh Penguins and a Pittsburgh-based natural gas company to purchase local forest carbon credits; Pennsylvania agencies will coordinate recommendations on wildlife corridors.

Mar 13, 2026

Landowners and Locals are Fighting AI Expansion of High-Voltage Power Lines

PPL has announced plans to build a 500-kilovolt transmission line (the 12-mile “Sugarloaf” project) that could cross John Zola’s 40-acre property in eastern Pennsylvania.

Project details and local action: The 12-mile Sugarloaf project would reuse and expand an existing corridor, involve 240-foot metal towers and require a wide corridor (up to 200-foot-wide in some projects); PPL serves more than 1.5 million customers, projects peak electricity demand to more than triple by 2030, has offered landowners cash payments (offers reported rising from $17,000 to $85,000 for one owner) and may pursue eminent domain if landowners refuse.
Background and national context: The article places the Sugarloaf dispute in a broader national trend driven by AI-era data center demand: a $1.7 billion proposed Pennsylvania-spanning line, a $22 billion Midwest transmission package under dispute, and utilities forecasting transmission spending to nearly $50 billion a year by 2028; opponents include landowners, conservationists, state regulators and regional stakeholders.

Mar 12, 2026

Fossil generation could rise with faster-than-expected growth in data center power demand

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published an analysis showing that faster-than-expected electricity demand growth driven by data centers could increase natural gas and coal generation and raise wholesale electricity prices.

Main analysis and assumptions: The EIA produced a high demand growth scenario in which 2026 and 2027 growth rates are 50% higher than the February STEO in data-center-heavy regions, while other regions are +1 percentage point above STEO; the scenario assumes no additional generating capacity beyond the February STEO and applies an assumed +$0.50/MMBtu increase in natural gas delivered prices across regions.
Key modeled outcomes and metrics: Under the scenario, natural gas generation rises to +7.3% (123 BkWh) between 2025–2027 (vs 1.7% baseline), coal generation declines by 5.0% (37 BkWh) nationwide in the high case, and ERCOT 2027 wholesale prices model +$37/MWh above the February STEO (excluding ERCOT the average 2027 wholesale price is +$2.10/MWh above the STEO forecast of $48/MWh).

Mar 10, 2026

Environmental groups seek more details of plan to sell Chantilly land for data center

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has set a March 17 public hearing to consider selling the southern one-third (about 41.7 acres) of the 128-acre Stonecroft property at 3721 Stonecroft Blvd to Starwood Capital Group, which made an unsolicited $166.8 million offer.

Main announcement/details: The Board will consider a sale of 41.7 acres (the southernmost one-third of the 128-acre campus) to Starwood Capital Group (SGC Global Holdings LLC) for an unsolicited $166.8 million offer; county officials say proceeds will defray costs for a modern police training facility and that the sale would add the 41.7 acres to the county tax base with anticipated tax revenue in excess of $20 million in the first year after completion. The public hearing is scheduled for March 17.
Background and related facts: A coalition of environmental groups (Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Nature Forward, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Friends of Holmes Run) sent a March 4 letter requesting details on any agreements, terms, origin of the proposal, alternative uses, public-benefit considerations, health/air-quality impacts, carbon emissions, and backup power plans (battery vs diesel). A separate proposal to swap the Stonecroft parcel for Plaza 500 (6295 Edsall Road) was suggested by civic leaders but Fairfax Board Chairman Jeff McKay responded on March 2 calling the idea “creative” but not something that we can pursue; Plaza 500 is owned by SCG/related parties and is being targeted for a data center in Lincolnia.

Mar 9, 2026

West Virginia Secures $4 Billion Artificial Intelligence Data Center Investment

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that West Virginia secured a $4 billion private-sector investment from Penzance Management to develop the state’s first designated High Impact Intelligence Center.

$4 billion investment by Penzance Management to develop the Bedington Campus on 548 acres in Berkeley County’s Falling Waters District; project expected to reach ~1.9 million square feet and deliver 600 megawatts of IT capacity at full buildout; no state funding was used.
Enabled by recent state laws (Power Generation and Consumption Act, House Bill 2002) to accelerate permitting and support on-site power generation and microgrids; project qualified for High Impact Intelligence Center status after exceeding a 90-megawatt projected load and completing engineering, environmental and utility coordination. County is evaluating reclaimed water use; administration reports $10.5 billion in private-sector investment secured since October.

Mar 6, 2026

AI Infrastructure Brief: Power, Capital, and Silicon Collide in the Next Phase of the Data Center Buildout

Data Center Frontier summarizes multiple AI infrastructure announcements and projects scaling to gigawatts across North America.

Main announcement/action: The article reports an industry-wide acceleration of hyperscale AI data center development, including CoreWeave’s plan to add roughly 5 GW of capacity by 2030, xAI’s $659 million permit filing for Memphis “Colossus,” Nebius’s $150.6 billion Chapter 100 bond approval, and a $2.4 billion B&W/Base Electron design-build agreement to deliver 1.2 GW of natural-gas generation to supply Applied Digital AI campuses; it also cites La Caisse’s C$240 million commitment to Cologix’s MTL8 and Google’s $40 billion investment pipeline in Texas through 2027.
Context and additional details: The report documents wider trends: institutional capital flows (Blackstone exploring a public data-center vehicle; HighBrook targeting 300 MW), growth in dedicated/behind-the-meter generation (the “power island” trend), and rising political and community scrutiny (Birmingham 180-day moratorium, Oregon HB 4084 proposal, project withdrawals/controversies in Apex NC and West Louisville).

Feb 27, 2026

Episode for February 27, 2026

The Allegheny Front published a Feb. 27, 2026 episode summarizing multiple environmental stories including contaminated drinking water in Ohio, endangered species listing delays, data center disputes, and a federal rollback of mercury rules.

Main episode coverage: The podcast highlights Cadiz, Ohio residents reporting musty water that looks, smells and tastes bad after months of issues; experts cited extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and a lack of certified professionals, while local regulators said the water is safe. The episode date is February 27, 2026.
Additional stories and actions: The episode reports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delaying listings for species including the monarch and hellbender; the Trump administration announced it will roll back a Biden-era mercury emissions standard to a 2012 standard; local Ohio towns are using zoning to oppose new AI/data centers, and President Trump said he had “worked out a deal with energy-hungry data centers to build their own power plants” (no implementation timeline provided).

Feb 27, 2026

Google and Xcel Energy to Deploy 300MW / 30GWh Form Iron-Air Battery in Minnesota

Google and Xcel Energy have announced a definitive agreement to deploy a 300MW / 30GWh Form Energy iron-air battery system in Pine Island, Minnesota.

Main announcement: Google and Xcel Energy will deploy a 300MW / 30GWh iron-air battery (Form Energy technology) to support a new Google data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota; the package also includes 1,400 MW of new wind, 200 MW of new solar, and Google will make a USD 50 million investment into Xcel’s Capacity*Connect programme. The Electric Service Agreement will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for approval in the coming weeks.
Background and project details: Industry sources describe the deal as a USD 1 billion commitment by Google to Form Energy; batteries will be manufactured at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia (scaling toward 500MW annual production capacity by 2028) and the facility is eligible for up to USD 150 million in federal support; Form Energy previously raised USD 405 million in Series F (2024).

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