Wheeling residents gather in protest of proposed data centers
Residents in Wheeling, West Virginia, are protesting a proposed data center development by Silicon Foundation at the former Centre Foundry site. The larger protest was postponed due to air pollution from Canadian wildfire smoke, but opposition remains ongoing.
Residents in Wheeling, West Virginia, particularly in the Warwood area, gathered to protest the proposed redevelopment of the former Centre Foundry site by Silicon Foundation. The company plans to build a technology park featuring a modular computing facility, manufacturing facilities for the data center industry, and a training academy for local specialists.
The protest aimed to pressure local, state, and federal officials to reconsider the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. One resident expressed hopes that data center-related developments would not proceed at the site and advocated for community dialogue regarding acceptable uses for the land.
A larger-scale protest, initially planned for the day, was postponed. Organizers cited air pollution from Canadian wildfire smoke as the reason for the cancellation, stating their intention to reschedule the demonstration.