Data Centers A Hot Topic At Economic Outlook Conference
Data centers were a major topic at the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce's Economic Outlook Conference, where business and economic leaders argued they could diversify the region's economy and increase tax revenue. Panelists also discussed data center electricity demand and water usage, while citing existing development in West Virginia and elsewhere as an economic model.
Business and economic leaders at the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Economic Outlook Conference endorsed data center development in the Ohio Valley, saying such facilities could broaden West Virginia's economy, increase tax revenue and help utilities spread costs across more customers. David H. McKinley of McKinley-Carter Wealth Services cited Loudoun County, Virginia, while former Ohio Delegate Erikka Storch, now an external affairs manager for American Electric Power, pointed to the economic benefits of data centers in counties that already host them.
Attorney James Bailey said his firm represents parties seeking to build a data center in Ohio County and disputed concerns about water consumption, saying newer facilities recycle water and use amounts comparable to other industrial sites. The discussion also referenced Google's planned hyperscale campus in Buffalo, West Virginia, while speakers including WVU economist John Deskins emphasized the state's broader challenges with workforce participation and economic diversification.