West Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent West Virginia data center news

• Jan 21, 2026

  Can Trump’s coal comeback last? Experts say no

  The Department of Energy has issued emergency orders delaying retirements of multiple coal-fired power plants and the Trump administration has issued an April executive order promoting coal to meet rising electricity demand from AI data centers.

  • DOE emergency orders: Chris Wright has issued emergency orders delaying retirement of at least five of the 11 plants slated for closure, renewing them every 90 days; under these orders, plant operators can seek FERC approval to recover costs from customers, with examples such as the J.H. Campbell plant’s expenses being spread across millions of Midwest ratepayers.
  • Context & impacts: Analysts estimate keeping slated plants open through 2028 could cost ratepayers up to $6 billion, on top of a $6 billion increase in coal-fired generation costs from 2021–2024; roughly 25 gigawatts of aging coal capacity may continue operating to meet data center demand through 2030, while the EPA and Interior Department actions have eased pollution constraints and opened lands to mining.
• Jan 21, 2026

  JF26-EQT

  EQT said it is looking to data centers as a source of near-term gas demand growth in Appalachia.

  • Main announcement: EQT (an Appalachia-based operator) is explicitly seeking demand growth from data centers in the near term; the caption depicts the EQT-operated Patterson-UTI Rig 571 currently working in West Virginia.
  • Background/details: The item is an image caption published on Jan 21, 2026 by Drilling Contractor; it identifies the operator as primarily based in Appalachia and highlights data centers as a targeted end market for regional gas demand expansion.
• Jan 21, 2026

  Google inks PPAs to power data centers with carbon-free energy

  Google has signed three 20-year power purchase agreements with Clearway Energy Group for new clean energy capacity.

  • Google and Clearway executed three 20-year PPAs in 2025 totaling 1.17 gigawatts of “carbon-free energy projects” to support Google data centers in Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia, with the deals representing over $2.4 billion in energy infrastructure investment; the partnership totals 1.24 GW when combined with an existing 71.5 MW PPA in West Virginia.
  • Implementation details and background: Clearway will begin construction on over 1 GW of new projects, with new generation expected online in 2027 and 2028, delivered across grids managed by Southwest Power Pool, ERCOT, and MISO; Clearway (San Francisco-headquartered) has a 13 GW portfolio across 350 operating projects in 27 states, and Google/Alphabet recently announced the planned acquisition of clean energy developer Intersect for $4.75 billion (expected close H1 2026).
• Jan 21, 2026

  Virginia proposes 20.78GW storage mandate as Trump, governors call for emergency PJM grid measures

  Virginia state delegate Richard C. ‘Rip’ Sullivan, Jr has introduced HB895 to raise mandatory energy storage procurement targets for Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia.

  • Main announcement: HB895 would require Appalachian Power to add 780MW short-duration by 2040 and 520MW long-duration by 2045, and Dominion Energy to add 16,000MW short-duration and 3,480MW long-duration by 2045; the bill is nearly identical to HB2537 (vetoed May 2025) but raises Dominion’s short-duration target from 5,220MW to 16,000MW within the same timeframe.
  • Background and related actions: The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors urged PJM (16 January) to hold an emergency procurement auction and to build more than US$15 billion of baseload generation; PJM responded by initiating a “Reliability Backstop Procurement” and directed immediate process discussions and deadlines to be considered at the 22 January Members Committee meeting. The bill and procurement push are motivated by rapidly rising demand in Virginia—driven largely by data centres—and recommendations from groups such as MAREC Action, NRDC, and Environment America.
• Jan 16, 2026

  Google Buys 1.2 GW of Carbon-free Energy to Power Data Centers Across U.S.

  Clearway announced a series of long-term PPAs with Google to deliver nearly 1.2 GW of carbon-free energy to power Google data centers.

  • Main announcement: Clearway announced long-term PPAs with Google for nearly 1.2 GW of carbon-free energy from new projects located in Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia, supplying grids serving Google data centers in SPP, ERCOT, and PJM for up to 20 years.
  • Project details & timeline: Construction is expected to begin this year, with first sites coming online in 2027 and 2028, and the portfolio represents more than $2.4 billion in investment in infrastructure. Additional context: Google has signed 170+ agreements for over 22 GW of clean energy since 2010 and reported a 12% reduction in data center emissions in 2024.
• Jan 15, 2026

  PJM Dials Back Near-Term Load Outlook but Maintains Steep Long-Term Growth Trajectory

  PJM Interconnection issued its 2026 Long-Term Load Forecast on Jan. 14, 2026, trimming near-term peak-demand projections while reaffirming steep long-term growth driven by data centers and electrification.

  • Near-term adjustments: PJM reduced projected summer peak demand by 2,564 MW for 2026 (-1.6%), 4,414 MW for the 2028 summer peak used in the capacity auction (-2.6%), and 1,630 MW for the 2031 summer peak used in transmission planning (-0.8%); the 2026 update attributes near-term declines to large loads (-0.7%), economic activity (-0.5%), and EVs (-0.1%) and notes updated economic inputs from Moody’s Analytics (Sept 2025).
  • Long-term framework and scope: The report projects average annual summer peak growth of 3.6% (next decade) and roughly +85,000 MW over 15 years, formalizes a new “firm” vs “non-firm” vetting framework via the Load Adjustment Request Implementation document (published July 2025) that requires Electric Service Obligations or Construction Commitments for near-term (<=3 years) large loads, and reports adjustments across 15 transmission zones (14 influenced by data center development).
• Jan 14, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - January 13, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) announced its first Congressional briefing of the year, a wildfire solutions briefing on Tuesday, January 27, hosted with the Federation of American Scientists.

  • Main announcement: EESI will host a Congressional briefing titled “Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy” on Tuesday, January 27, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (reception to follow) at Russell Senate Office Building, Room SR-385 and online; RSVP available on the EESI briefing page and a reception follows the briefing.
  • Background & related actions: The newsletter summarizes recent federal actions signed by the President including MAPWaters (P.L. 119-62) improving recreational waterway data collection, Save Our Seas 2.0 (P.L. 119-65) reauthorizing EPA marine debris programs, Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization (P.L. 119-67) for USGS research funding, and La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act (P.L. 119-68) (expected to create more than 700 jobs and provide enough solar and battery capacity to power about 75,000 homes); it also notes wildfire costs of $424 billion annually and highlights EESI coverage on data center water use (cited by multiple media outlets).
• Jan 9, 2026

  Meta Strikes Deal With Irving’s Vistra to Purchase Nuclear Power for Meta’s AI ‘Supercluster’

  Meta has signed 20-year power purchasing agreements (PPAs) with Vistra to procure 2,609 MW of zero-carbon nuclear energy to support Meta’s operations and its Prometheus AI supercluster in New Albany, Ohio.

  • Main announcement & deal details: Meta is purchasing 2,176 MW from operating units at Perry and Davis-Besse plus 433 MW of incremental output from equipment uprates at Perry (OH), Davis-Besse (OH), and Beaver Valley (PA) for a total of 2,609 MW; the PPAs are 20-year agreements, purchases begin in late 2026 and the full 2,609 MW will be online by 2034; Vistra will use the commitment to invest in uprates and pursue subsequent 20-year license extensions for the three plants.
  • Background and implementation details: Vistra acquired the plants in 2023, recently agreed to acquire Cogentrix Energy in a $4 billion deal; uprate projects span approximately nine years and are expected to support ~3,000 project-related jobs, increase state and local tax revenues (described as tens of millions of dollars annually), and benefit the PJM regional grid (PJM service area list provided in article).
• Jan 9, 2026

  Episode for January 9, 2026

  The Allegheny Front published a Jan 9, 2026 episode summarizing Inside Climate News’ three-part investigation into solid fracking waste in Pennsylvania and reporting regional environmental stories.

  • Main coverage: The episode highlights Inside Climate News’ three-part investigation into solid fracking waste in Pennsylvania and reports that environmental groups are appealing an air quality permit for a proposed 4.4 gigawatt gas-fired plant at Homer City (Indiana County) intended to fuel a data center; the plant is described as able to power more than 3 million homes and to emit more greenhouse gases annually than all cars in Pennsylvania.
  • Additional reporting: The show also covers University of Pennsylvania researchers proposing alternative ingredients and 3D printing to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint, and presents data showing road salt persists in waterways months after winter storms. Episode date: January 9, 2026; episode available via the provided mp3 and platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, TuneIn).
• Jan 5, 2026

  AI data centers: Economic boon or environmental disaster?

  GrowSmart Maine (author Joe Oliva) warns Maine communities to scrutinize proposed AI data centers and has released a community guide on AI data centers.

  • Main action: GrowSmart Maine and author Joe Oliva urge localities to demand transparency and robust public processes for AI data center proposals; specific local example: Lewiston — protesters gathered outside Lewiston City Hall ahead of a Dec. 16, 2025 city council meeting about a proposed AI data center at the Bates Mill complex (project was announced on a Thursday and set for a city council vote the following Tuesday).
  • Background & details: The piece highlights no state or federal requirements for operators to disclose energy and water consumption, cites a recent White House executive order that may preempt state regulation, and notes GrowSmart Maine’s release of its first community guide on AI data centers (resource link included).