MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Nscale and Fidelis Energy are moving forward with plans for a data center in Mason County by taking more than 2,000 acres and turning it into an AI factory called the Monarch Compute Campus.
Dan Shapiro, Chief Power and Energy Officer for Nscale, said, “There was a need for large scale data centers that did not plug into the grid and cost people more money from an electricity bill standpoint, so we started designing effectively a microgrid to be able to serve the needs of AI without impacting the ratepayers.”
At a meeting with the company and local businesses, state leaders say they want to take advantage of a small window for opportunity.
Chris Morris, the Director of the Data Economy Office for the W.Va. Department of Commerce said, “Right now we generate 16 gigawatts of power every year and we export a lot of that, so rather than sending that power out of state we’re looking at ways, and data centers are a way to keep that power in the state and actually benefit from it.”
Morris said Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants to increase how much energy the state produces by 2050, and his role was designed to work as a point of contact for companies looking to invest in data centers.
Shapiro said the first phase of development brings 700 permanent jobs, and Del. Jim Butler, R-Mason, is hopeful for a couple thousand.
“We even have programs in the high school gearing them up for these kinds of jobs and these are high paying jobs upwards of $100,000 in many cases,” Butler said.
Shapiro said the campus will be four total phases, and jobs could increase six times as much in the surrounding area. There will be temporary construction jobs for the project, but with four phases, Shapiro said these positions could last longer than your typical project.
The company said it’s aware of the community concerns, including sound and water usage. Nscale said new data centers are much more efficient, using new technology to lessen the impact. The company also cited using the same amount of water as a small hospital, and they will meet all state standards.
“We will minimize any municipal water use because we are all closed loop on cooling and on the power so very little water usage,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro said new jobs will not be the only benefit from the $40 billion investment.
“The tax revenue impact for the county is over $150 million annual, and you think about like that is a massive amount of revenue to prioritize strategic infrastructure projects, to accommodate the new employees and the new families that will come to the community,” he said.
To show appreciation and a sample of what the tax revenue can support, Nscale gave out checks to three groups in Mason County.
- $50,000 to the Mason County Development Authority
- $150,000 to Mason County EMS.
- $250,000 for the Mason County Sheriff’s Department
Del. Butler says the plan is to have more public meetings about the development to inform the community about the development. The company expects to build this summer and be operational by the second half of 2027.
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