(Photo Provided) Two coolant distribution units in a server aisle at the New Albany data center campus in central Ohio help keep servers cool to keep them operating efficiently.

By Steven Allen Adams

Special to The Times

CHARLESTON — Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday that Google has purchased property in Putnam County to begin the process of locating a data center in West Virginia.

In a press release Friday morning, Morrisey said Google has taken its first step toward a multi-million-dollar data center project that will be powered on the Appalachian Power grid instead of its own microgrid.

“Google’s decision to come (to) West Virginia is a strong signal that our state is competing and winning for the jobs and industries of the future,” Morrisey said. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity we are working to bring here – one that creates jobs, strengthens infrastructure and positions West Virginia for long-term growth.”

The proposed project, which will be built near Buffalo, is still in its earliest phases, Morrisey said, with meetings planned between the company and Putnam County officials. The project is expected to hire thousands of construction workers and employ full-time workers in the hundreds.

“We’re excited to share that Google has purchased land in Putnam County, West Virginia, for a new data center campus,” said Clay Allsop, the regional head of data center public affairs for Google. “We are early in the process, and substantial work remains, but we are appreciative of the strong business environment created by Governor Morrisey to provide a pathway for projects of this scale. We look forward to partnering with the Governor and local leaders in Putnam County on this opportunity here in West Virginia.”

According to the announcement, Google will cover the infrastructure costs for the site and ensure responsible use of water resources for the proposed data center.

“I am also pleased to announce that Google has committed to covering all necessary electrical and water and sewer upgrades associated with this project, ensuring those costs are not passed on to residential households,” Morrisey said. “Google has further pledged to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030, targeting 120% replenishment on average across its operations while supporting water security in the communities where it operates. We are excited about this partnership between the State of West Virginia and Google.”

Morrisey called the Google proposal a “High Impact Development Project,” making it eligible for funds through the Economic Development Authority’s Economic Development Project Fund, though it was unclear if Google had applied for funding. State code allows the EDA to use the fund to offer incentives or loans for business formation or expansion.

Data center proposals in the state have come under scrutiny recently, with air permits for proposed data center/microgrid projects being challenged by opponents. According to reporting by Country Roads News and West Virginia Watch, Fundamental Data (Tucker County) and Fidelis New Energy (Mason County) are being represented by attorneys with Bowles Rice, including House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay.

The West Virginia Legislature recently passed a rules bundle for the Department of Commerce regulating data center and microgrid districts due to the passage last year of House Bill 2014, though no data center/microgrid districts have been certified by the state to date.

HB 2014 is meant to streamline development of data center and microgrid projects and offer regulatory exemptions within designated data center/microgrid districts. It also establishes a special valuation for property taxes and a new tax distribution framework for high-impact data centers and creates a fund for electric grid stabilization.

Microgrids within these new districts would be exempt from the jurisdiction of the state Public Service Commission. The law also prohibits counties and municipalities from enacting or enforcing ordinances, regulations or rules that would prohibit or hinder these data center/microgrid districts.

The Fundamental Data data center and natural gas microgrid project sought its DEP air permit in March 2025. The Fidelis New Energy data center/microgrid project was first announced in 2023. Last week, California-based Nscale announced it had acquired the Monarch Compute Campus by acquiring American Intelligence and Power Corporation (AIPCorp), which is sponsored by Texas-based Fidelis New Energy and 8090 Industries, an investment firm.

In February, Washington, D.C.-based real estate firm Penzance Management announced it would build a $4 billion “high impact intelligence center” near Falling Waters and Bedington in Berkeley County.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com