The Truth About Data Centers
Democrats are NOT BEING HONEST about data centers. Here is the truth:
HB 2014, which was voted for by our local legislators and nearly every legislator in the State of West Virginia (including several Democrats), gives West Virginia a framework to compete for major data center investments while protecting utility customers. Data centers could already come here. The law established state certification and requires generators and electricity users within certified microgrid districts to cover their OWN electricity infrastructure costs, instead of shifting those costs onto We The People. HB 2014 was a safeguard.
Did HB2014 take away local control? Let’s think about what local control would have meant. Leaving these decisions to county commissions would not automatically have protected residents. It would have forced the need for county-wide zoning. Do we really want that? Adopting broad zoning regulations could create additional restrictions and controversies affecting farms, homeowners, and other businesses. Republicans can support a statewide approach while still supporting property rights. If Democrats had gotten their way, zoning regulations would be off the charts.
There is no free pass to build a data center anywhere without environmental review. Projects must still comply with state and federal environmental laws and obtain the permits their construction and operations require. Those requirements can cover air emissions, wastewater, stormwater, and impacts to streams and wetlands. These protections are designed to limit environmental harm, and WVDEP’s permitting process provides opportunities for public notice and input.
Water use also deserves facts. Modern closed-loop cooling systems recirculate the same water, sharply reducing the need for replacement water. Some facilities can use less water than a golf course. Each proposal would be evaluated on its actual water needs and the capacity of the local supply.
The potential benefits extend all over West Virginia. HB 2014 directs part of the additional property tax revenue toward income tax reduction, shares revenue with every county, and provides funding for water infrastructure and electric grid improvements. Communities without a data center can benefit too.Building American data center capacity can also strengthen our technological independence as we compete with China. West Virginia has good reason to compete for that investment and the opportunities it can bring.Supporting HB 2014 means supporting investment, shared revenue, property rights, and responsible development while insisting that developers pay their own way and meet their environmental obligations. That is a sound, conservative case for supporting the law. HB 2014 protected the people of West Virginia, and we are proud that our Republican legislators voted for it.