West Virginia communities unite over data center concerns
West Virginia communities are organizing the Data Center Accountability Project to demand greater transparency and community involvement in data center developments across the state. This initiative comes amidst growing opposition to proposed hyperscale data centers, including a recently announced project by Starwood Digital Ventures in Mason County. Advocates are calling for a holistic assessment of these projects beyond just their financial impacts.
Communities across West Virginia are forming a new coalition, the West Virginia Data Center Accountability Project, to collectively push back against the rapid influx of proposed data center developments. The group, which includes members from Putnam to Tucker counties, aims to demand that state and local leaders prioritize community well-being over the financial incentives of these facilities.
The formation of the project follows a week that saw the announcement of another major data center development: Starwood Digital Ventures received a "high impact data center certification" for a new project in Mason County. Despite Governor Patrick Morrisey's emphasis on economic development brought by hyperscale data centers, community opposition continues to intensify.
Heather Ransom, a member of Putnam United, stated that as more hyperscale data centers are announced, concerns are "popping up" in the impacted communities. The Data Center Accountability Project emphasizes the importance of local control and calls for data center projects to be assessed comprehensively, beyond merely their financial impacts. They demand that communities have a "seat at the table" in decisions affecting their localities, vowing to continue speaking out as developments increase.