Data center focus leads Fidelis affiliate to abandon Mason County biomass project
An affiliate of Fidelis New Energy has surrendered an air quality permit for a proposed biomass power plant in Mason County, West Virginia. This decision signifies a shift in focus towards developing the Monarch Compute Campus, a large-scale data center project in Point Pleasant. The data center development was recently acquired by Nscale Global Holdings.
MGS CNP 1 LLC, an affiliate of Houston-based Fidelis New Energy, has formally relinquished its air quality permit for a biomass power plant project in Mason County, West Virginia. This move represents a significant change in development plans for the former industrial site in Point Pleasant.
The company informed the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) that it would not proceed with the biomass facility, citing a change in priorities. Instead, the focus has shifted to data center development opportunities, specifically the Monarch Compute Campus, a large-scale project in the Point Pleasant area.
U.K.-based technology startup Nscale Global Holdings acquired the Monarch Compute Campus development in March 2026, positioning it as a key part of the site's future. The biomass plant project had received its permit from the WVDEP in November 2025 and had faced opposition from some local residents. This permit surrender, however, does not affect a separate hydrogen production facility, the Mountaineer GigaSystem, proposed by another Fidelis affiliate, which continues to receive state support.