Two high-impact data centers officially underway in western Mason County
Governor Patrick Morrisey announced a new $12 billion data center and NScale's Monarch Compute Campus received High Impact Data Center certification in Mason County, West Virginia. These projects are subject to rigorous state certification processes, including water usage recommendations and a new special tax model passed by the Legislature.
During the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Summit at the Greenbrier Resort, Governor Patrick Morrisey announced significant economic development for Mason County. He revealed plans for a new $12 billion high-impact data center to be located in Western West Columbia, Mason County. This facility is slated to be built north of NScale's Monarch Compute Campus.
In addition to the new project, Governor Morrisey also confirmed that NScale's Monarch Compute Campus has officially received its High Impact Data Center (HIDC) certification from the state's Data Economy Office, following months of negotiations. The Governor emphasized the rigorous nature of the HIDC certification process, noting that West Virginia's careful approach to welcoming data centers ensures better outcomes.
The HIDC certification mandates that these data centers adhere to specific recommendations concerning water usage and infrastructure costs. Furthermore, they will be subject to a special tax model, passed by the state Legislature in 2025, which diverts significant revenue from the county into a statewide income tax reduction fund. Chris Morris, from the Data Economy Office, previously stated intentions to mandate more community outreach from certified companies.