CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new statewide collaborative is forming in opposition to West Virginia’s fast‑growing data center development, rallying under the slogan “Community over computers.”
The movement comes in response to House Bill 2014, signed last year by Gov. Patrick Morrisey, which created a certified microgrid and high‑impact data center program. The law streamlines construction and removes local zoning authority — a change that community advocates say leaves residents without a voice in projects that could affect public health, environmental safety, and long‑term economic stability.
Morgan King, climate and energy program manager for the West Virginia Citizen Action Group, said communities are pushing back after losing their ability to ensure new developments meet local standards.
“Every community is really united in making sure that data centers and these corporations are accountable to what their promises are,” King said. “We’ve just really not seen that happen so far.”
Around a dozen large‑scale data center projects have been proposed across the state, with two already certified in Mason County. The newly formed West Virginia Data Center Accountability Project aims to hold developers to environmental and community‑impact standards.
King said counties are being asked to incentivize projects without guarantees of lasting jobs or sustained economic activity.
“We’re seeing even established companies like Microsoft lose trust in some of the projects that are happening here and decide to not invest in them anymore,” King said.
A Pew Research Center survey released in March found that 75% of Americans are aware of data centers, and most believe they negatively affect the environment, home energy costs, and overall quality of life.
The collaborative says its goal is not to stop development entirely, but to ensure communities have a say in how projects are built — and how they impact the people who live nearby.
