Fundamental Data responds to WVDEP questions over Tucker County data center
Fundamental Data LLC has provided the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) with a redacted land agreement for its proposed Ridgeline Facility in Tucker County, as part of an ongoing regulatory dispute. The company is defending the redactions, stating they protect private commercial terms while not concealing environmental obligations. The dispute also involves the project's classification under West Virginia's "High Impact Data Center" law and its multi-gigawatt power generation plans.
Fundamental Data LLC, a Virginia-based developer, has provided a redacted land agreement to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) for its proposed multi-gigawatt Ridgeline Facility in Tucker County. The submission, a redacted copy of a July 19, 2024, purchase and sale agreement with Western Pocahontas Properties Limited Partnership, was in response to WVDEP's request for additional site control information related to the company's application for Air Quality Permit R13-3713.
Casey L. Chapman of Fundamental Data LLC stated that the redactions were limited to financial and commercial terms, arguing they do not affect the public's right to know about the facility's environmental obligations or emissions standards. The site control issue is part of a broader regulatory dispute. In June, the West Virginia Department of Commerce warned Fundamental Data that it had missed a deadline to seek state certification for a "High Impact Data Center," citing the project's potential scale exceeding the 90-megawatt critical IT load threshold. Fundamental Data disputes this interpretation, arguing the state is conflating data center requirements with voluntary microgrid programs and that the company is primarily developing energy generation infrastructure.
The proposed two-phase development could involve several gigawatts of power generation and data center capacity, including 800 megawatts of natural gas-fired generation and 1.3 gigawatts of solar power in the first phase, with a second phase adding another 3.1 gigawatts of natural gas generation. Fundamental Data has emphasized its willingness to collaborate with state officials while maintaining its right to determine appropriate regulatory pathways. The company also confirmed it is not seeking state or county financial assistance and that the costs associated with Ridgeline's electricity demand will be borne by the project and its users, not other West Virginia utility customers.