West Virginia Candidate Opposes Data Centers, Author Explores Coexistence Solutions
An opinion piece discusses a West Virginia House of Delegates candidate whose assistant held a "No Data Center" sign, despite no current plans for a data center in their community. The author argues against a blanket ban on data centers, emphasizing their necessity for modern life and national security. He suggests finding ways to coexist by addressing siting, environmental concerns, and power generation.
An article from the News and Sentinel highlights a West Virginia House of Delegates candidate's campaign where an assistant displayed a "No Data Center" sign, even though there are no immediate plans for a data center in the Elkview community. The author, Greg Kozera, uses this incident to discuss the broader issue of data center development, advocating against outright bans and for finding solutions for coexistence.
Kozera emphasizes that data centers are critical infrastructure for everyday life, national security, and the rapidly growing AI sector. He likens regulating data centers to regulating automobiles, asserting that setting laws and regulations is more responsible than a complete prohibition. He draws parallels to the "made in America" argument, noting that strict regulations can lead to jobs being outsourced, as seen in the EU.
The author suggests practical solutions, such as avoiding prime farmland for siting and encouraging data centers to pay for their own power grid upgrades rather than relying on subsidies. He also points out the need for reliable, economical power, ideally produced on-site (often using natural gas), especially in energy-exporting states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. He cites an unnamed company planning an on-site natural gas plant in North Carolina, highlighting the challenges of transporting fuel via projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline due to federal and environmental group opposition.
Kozera concludes by stressing that while data centers don't create many direct jobs post-construction, linking large data center sites with power plants could attract high-wage manufacturing jobs, contributing to long-term prosperity alongside a clean environment.