DEP questions Fundamental Data site control for Tucker Co. data center-linked project
West Virginia regulators are scrutinizing Fundamental Data LLC's control of a site for a planned data center-linked power plant in Tucker County, despite having previously approved an air quality permit. This inquiry comes amid ongoing concerns from residents about potential environmental harm and economic impact, with community advocates having appealed the permit approval.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is questioning Fundamental Data LLC's control over the site for its planned Ridgeline facility, which includes a gas turbine-fired power plant and data centers in Tucker and Grant counties. DEP Division of Air Quality Director Laura Crowder requested documentation verifying the Virginia-based company's site control, citing information from its March 2025 air quality permit application that indicated an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement.
The regulatory scrutiny follows community and environmental advocates' appeal of the DEP's August 2025 approval of the air quality permit to the West Virginia Air Quality Board. Tucker County residents, including Jill Wilson, Deb Mattingly, and Kathy Hackney, have voiced significant concerns that the data center operations would negatively impact the area's environmental health and tourism-based economy.
Crowder noted that the DAQ recently received correspondence raising questions about the site's ownership and control. Specifically, a July 1 letter from the Department of Commerce indicated that Tucker County records show the parcel is owned by Western Pocahontas Properties LTD, and Fundamental Data representative Casey Chapman described the data centers for the project as "conceptual" in June 18 correspondence to the West Virginia Office of Energy. Despite this renewed scrutiny, the article suggests it is unlikely to alter the company's plans.