Charleston Gazette-Mail, GovTech – Public outcry over West Virginia political leaders’ pursuit of data center development has reached a fever pitch in recent months, with residents protesting and filing legal challenges against expected data center projects in Mason, Mingo and Tucker counties.
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But state lawmakers are ramping up their data center pursuit a year after passing controversial legislation pushed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey aimed at drawing data centers to West Virginia at the expense of local government control and funding.
That legislation, House Bill 2014, prohibited local jurisdiction over “high-impact” data centers and diverts most of any property tax revenue they would generate away from local taxing bodies, a move estimated to cost counties and school districts millions.
