West Virginia Data Center News

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).

Feb 26, 2026

Google: Minnesota data centre energy deal includes 30GWh ‘multi-day’ iron-air batteries from Form Energy

Xcel Energy and Google have announced an agreement to deploy Form Energy iron-air batteries to power a new Google data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota.

Main announcement: Xcel Energy will install a 300 MW / 30 GWh Form Energy iron‑air battery system at Google’s Pine Island, Minnesota data centre; the parties say Google will cover all new infrastructure costs and the Electric Service Agreement (ESA) will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) for review in the next few weeks. The deal also includes adding 1,900 MW of renewables to the grid (CEAC supporting 1,400 MW wind + 200 MW solar) and a US$50 million investment in Xcel’s Capacity*Connect Programme.
Background and implementation details: Form Energy says batteries will be manufactured at Form Factory 1 (Weirton, West Virginia), with FF1 on track to reach 500 MW/year by 2028; Form previously raised US$405 million (Series F) in 2024 and FF1 received up to US$150 million from DOE programmes announced in September 2024. Xcel notes a prior 1 GWh Form Energy project was approved by Minnesota regulators in 2023; the new 30 GWh system is described as the largest battery by energy capacity announced to date.

Feb 24, 2026

College environmentalists imagine their futures…

Students from West Virginia University and Concord University met with lawmakers at the state Capitol to press for protections and transparency on proposed data center development while the West Virginia House of Delegates recently approved new certification rules for high-impact data centers.

Main action: Students (more than 50 attendees) participated in the 36th annual Environmental Day to urge lawmakers for community protections, transparency, and regulation of data center developments; the article reports the House of Delegates approved new certification rules for high-impact data centers but voted down amendments on water use, a 500-foot buffer, increased reporting/transparency, and local petition/ballot power.
Background and details: The students named include Andrew O’Neal, Noi Alfgeirsson, Elise Vuiller and Jalen Cuyun Carter; residents from Mingo, Tucker and Mason counties have raised similar concerns, and under current law local governments have no power to regulate certified data centers;
- Event: 36th annual Environmental Day
  - Date: Monday, Feb. 23 (as reported in the article/photo caption)
  - Time: not specified
  - Location: West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston, WV
  - Agenda/subject: student meetings with lawmakers to express concerns about proposed data center developments, request protections and transparency

Feb 23, 2026

Funding Rural Hospitals

The federal Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program is supporting rural West Virginia hospitals by providing discounted broadband services and network infrastructure to improve connectivity, telehealth, and secure data exchange.

Main announcement/action: The HCF Program provides discounts on broadband services and network infrastructure for rural hospitals (examples cited: Roane General Hospital, Logan Regional Medical Center), enabling reliable connectivity for telehealth, electronic medical records (EMR) and secure data exchange. The article reports hospitals have implemented resilient network connectivity and adopted cloud-based technologies with the program’s support.
Background and additional details:Alpha Innovations (West Virginia technology firm) and the Institute for Cyber Security at Marshall University provide guidance on modernization, recommending identity-first security architecture, hybrid cloud infrastructure, network segmentation, and automated backup and recovery; the coverage emphasizes that hospitals operate with legacy systems, limited IT staff, and tight budgets, and that the HCF Program reduces financial burden so resources can be reallocated to care and technology upgrades.

Feb 20, 2026

Episode for February 20, 2026

The Allegheny Front released a podcast episode on Feb 20, 2026 covering an avian flu surge and regional environmental and industrial issues.

Episode details & main stories: The Feb 20, 2026 episode (runtime 29:30, downloadable mp3) focuses on an avian flu surge in Pennsylvania with state agricultural officials and USDA increasing testing and surveillance; it also reviews the aftermath of the Clairton Coke Works explosion (now six months after two deaths) and the transfer of the plant to Nippon (Nippon’s plans have not yet been released).
Additional reporting & concrete details: The episode summarizes a new study on deaths attributable to air pollution in the Pittsburgh region; it highlights growing opposition to dozens of proposed data centers in the region and cites a specific proposal in Delaware City that would use 20 million gallons of water a year. All facts are drawn from linked reporting and the episode content.

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