After a Week of Data Center Discussion in the Ohio Valley, Here’s What We Know
The Ohio Valley saw discussions about two data center-related projects: one in Warwood, Ohio County, West Virginia, by Silicon Foundation Energy, and another by EnergiAcres in Belmont County, Ohio. The Warwood project was clarified by company officials as primarily a manufacturing facility for data center modules with potential for a smaller compute hub, while the Belmont County project is a proposed 2-3 gigawatt AI data center campus in early planning stages. Both proposals have generated significant public and government interest, with residents raising concerns about environmental and infrastructure impacts.
A week of intense discussion in the Ohio Valley has revealed details about two distinct data center-related proposals impacting Ohio County, West Virginia, and Belmont County, Ohio. In Warwood, West Virginia, Silicon Foundation Energy Inc. purchased the former Centre Foundry property, sparking community concern after Stokes Energy's LinkedIn post and Silicon Foundation's website referred to a "data center." Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron confirmed preliminary discussions with Silicon Foundation representatives, but no official project was initially underway. Delegate Shawn Fluharty convened an impromptu town hall in Warwood, attended by State Sen. Laura Wakim-Chapman, to address public questions. Andrii Garanin, Chief Energy and Infrastructure Officer for Silicon Foundation, later clarified to the Times Leader that the company primarily intends to retool the foundry into a manufacturing facility for modular computing components, with potential for a regional compute hub of up to 100 megawatts. West Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Nick Preservati, further corroborated this, stating the project is a "mixed-use manufacturing and technology facility" and not a "high impact data center" as initially feared.
Meanwhile, Belmont County, Ohio, commissioners learned of a separate, larger proposal from a St. Clairsville resident, Paul Cameron, for a 2-3 gigawatt AI data center campus by EnergiAcres. Referred to as "The Real Stargate Ohio," the project is in planning stages for thousands of acres in Belmont County, leveraging proximity to gas infrastructure and transmission lines, with a target operation date of Q2 2029. This project, which aims for a behind-the-meter architecture to ensure predictable energy costs, was not formally announced by EnergiAcres, and its exact location, customer, costs, and infrastructure needs remain unclear. Both proposals have raised significant community questions regarding noise, environmental impacts, traffic, power, and water usage, with officials from both states planning further engagement with the involved companies.