By Anna Saab
Data centers can use thousands of gallons of fresh water every day to cool servers.
It was announced earlier this week that Mason County will become the newest AI data center site for London-based Nscale — the company’s second North American data center. They’ll be partnering with Microsoft on the Monarch Campus, a massive 2,200-acre plot.
The Governor and several lawmakers weighed in, all of them expressing excitement at the economic opportunity. Delegate Jonathan Pinson of Mason County was quoted in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel this week:
“Mason County has been ready to move forward by creating great opportunities while ensuring our community remains a wonderful place to call home,” said Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason. “I’m eager to continue listening to the community and facilitating collaboration among all the parties to ensure lasting, positive outcomes for generations to come.”
More than 60 people came together at Krodel Park Clubhouse in Point Pleasant to hear from environmental experts and express concerns.
West Virginia Citizen Action Group, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services led a community meeting in Point Pleasant on Tuesday. The groups fielded questions and concerns from the community.
Morgan King, WVEC Vice President and Climate and Energy Manager for WVCAG, was also quoted in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel this week:
“The environmental, public health, and economic risks of building high-impact data centers are even greater in places like Point Pleasant, where residents already bear disproportionate cumulative impacts from power plants in Ohio and West Virginia, as well as other industrial development,” King continued.
The bottom line? Data center development continues to outpace protective regulations. Community concerns seem to be occasionally placated but overwhelmingly sidelined. While federal and state lawmakers don’t seem ready to take the lead on imagining and developing protective policy, the National Parks Conservation Association and other organizations have released guidance on how we might develop frameworks for more responsible development.
AI and data center development is expanding across the country at a fast pace. In many ways, it could be viewed as a modern extractive industry.
In neighboring Pennsylvania, respected environmental organization Penn Future has called for a moratorium on data centers until lawmakers can develop protective measures. Organizations in West Virginia could do the same. Although our state government officials don’t always consider the advice of environmental and health experts, calling for a moratorium might be a good next step — especially since the hundreds of citizen public comments asking for protective measures didn’t spur much meaningful action this session.
Before the start of the 2026 legislative session, we published a Policy Briefing Booklet with suggestions for responsible data center development in the state. We will continue to do our part to arm West Virginia communities with the resources to educate themselves on the environmental and health risks of AI and data center development, and we plan to work hand-in-hand with member organizations and other allies to continue organizing against the overdevelopment. Consider donating to help us continue this work. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X to keep updated on opportunities to join the fight.
