Tucker County residents face largest proposed data center in the world

Residents of Tucker County, West Virginia, are opposed to a massive new data center project that they say was approved without local input. The proposed facility is designed to be the largest in the world, covering 10,000 acres and measuring slightly smaller than Manhattan. It would be powered by natural gas and is located near the Blackwater River and two ski mountains, which drive the local tourism economy.

The first conflict involves the scale of the project relative to the community's economy. Jane Browning, who owns the Ranger Jane business, stated that tourism accounts for 80 percent of her revenue. She noted that if the data center disrupts tourism, her business will collapse. The development threatens the natural landscape that attracts visitors to the area, creating a direct tension between industrial expansion and the town's primary income source.

The second point of contention is the speed and opacity of the approval process. Local residents reported that the project appeared suddenly without prior warning or a public vote. One resident said, "It came out of nowhere, there was no warning, there was no opportunity to say no." Another resident added, "We were never given a choice, never given a voice." A third observer commented, "There’s something here that we don’t know." These accounts suggest a lack of standard community engagement typically seen in major infrastructure projects.

The third issue centers on the relationship between the developer and state legislators. Ted McGavran, a North Carolina-based developer with Fundamental Data, was recorded in July explaining why West Virginia was selected. He stated, "Up in West Virginia, we’re the guys that wrote the bill and got it through the Legislature. We can do pretty much whatever we want to do up there." West Governor Patrick Morrisey denied this claim, insisting the state is acting in good faith. He said, "Nothing’s been approved," even though public filings show the project’s air permits were approved on August 15.

Roger Hanshaw, the West Virginia Speaker of the House, sponsored the bill that facilitated the project. Hanshaw also serves as the lawyer for Fundamental Data. The office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Morrisey argued the project would benefit the state by addressing water and environmental concerns while lowering power bills. He said, "We’re going to make sure that the water’s addressed, the environment’s addressed, that the power bills are lower, it’s going to get handled the right way."

In Washington, Senators Martin Heinrich and Sheldon Whitehouse are introducing a bill to reform data center permitting. Heinrich said communities need to understand the impact on electricity supply, cost, water resources, infrastructure, and the local economy before granting permits. He stated, "When a community is considering whether or not to grant a permit to a major data center, it needs to understand what that project will mean for its electricity supply. Cost, water resources, infrastructure and local economy. In order for them to make a good decision."

Ballotpedia counted 47 local ballot measures regarding data centers in the 2026 midterms. Voters in 46 of those jurisdictions chose to curb data center development. Tucker County was not given a similar vote.