Public Comments

We want transparency about data centers. We deserve to know the impact on our lives and health. We don't want any data centers in our state.

Our local communities need to know all about water usage and disposal of waste water!  This should not be a secret.  Full disclosure about water, air, lighting and noise should be provided in advance for all local people to read and understand....and protest if needed.   Please put OUR citizens first....and far ahead of corporations and billionaires eager to make more money, while providing a handful of jobs and ruining our home state ( while paying little or no taxes ).  Remember timbering and coal.....do we never learn?

I am writing to request that you vote against HB4983.  Sadly, our long state history is to give preference to out of state interests and corporations. This was certainly evident when the logging industry denuded our mountains of timber leaving only stumps and mud. This was certainly evident when coal companies first arrived and left our streams polluted with toxins that we are still dealing with today. And now, this bill will further threaten our air quality, our groundwater supply, our quality of life and local infrastructure. I ask you as a property owner in Tucker County and a lifelong resident of West Virginia to do what is best for our communities and residents and not what is best for yet again out of state interests who will devastate yet again our environment. I would only ask that you do this not for my generation but for my grandchildren and their children so that they may enjoy and love this state as I and many others do. Respectfully, J Keith Wade

It is extremely disappointing to see how many delegates are supporting HB4983. This bill fails to protect one of our most essential shared resources: water. The bill allows large industrial development to move forward without enforceable safeguards to ensure local water quantity is protected for residents, farmers, and small businesses that rely on dependable supplies. Current oversight does not fill this gap. The Department of Environmental Protection enforces water quality standards, not whether communities will have enough water as withdrawals grow. Without clear limits and cumulative impact review, the risk is placed on local families while data center facilities just have to register as large water users and they can take what they like. Just as troubling, HB4983 permits critical information to be hidden as confidential business information. When public resources are at stake, government secrecy is unacceptable. Americans expect transparency — not government shielding corporate impacts from public view. Water shortages affect livelihoods, property values, and community stability. Residents are paying close attention to decisions that put their water and their future at risk and is something we all will be remembering in November. HB4983 should not advance without enforceable protections for water quantity and full public transparency and participation. We will never stop fighting for our right to participate in the democratic process and to protect our homes and families. If only our legislators would do the same.

To the Member of the Standing Committee on Energy and Public Works, I am writing to request that you vote against HB4983. This legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center provides a framework that violates the public trust and actively undermines the well-being of the people of West Virginia.  It would enshrine a process that ignores the concerns of citizens about their property value, health, and ability to participate in local decision-making.  As a homeowner in Tucker County, I am extremely concerned about the possibility that my water supply would dry up or be polluted, that pollution from the Ridgeline project could worsen my respiratory condition.  Research shows that communities near power plants experience a decline in property value due to these projects, further eroding the ability of communities to fund infrastructure and support health care.  Any rule regarding the certification of microgrid districts or high impact data centers  must address the concerns of property owners, municipalities and county governments about the impacts such projects will have on water supplies, air pollution, local infrastructure, and sensitive locations such as schools.  As written, the legislative rule described in HB4983 does none of these, and asks the voters of West Virginia to trust a process shrouded in secrecy and vulnerable to the decisions of unelected bureaucrats.  I am calling on you to listen to the many people of our state who loudly demand greater oversight, transparency and accountability in the  certification and regulation of data centers. Respectfully, Jamie Jacobs

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN - OUR REPRESENTATIVES IF YOU WILL, MAKE YOUR DAY. HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT ONE UNSUNG HEROE DID TO SAVE NOT ONLY THE USA’S HEALTH BUT MILLIONS ACROSS THE WORLD. https://youtu.be/fwghO1WWRFc DR. FRANCES KELSEY - STOOD UP FOR THE USA IN 1961 - 11 MONTHS OF SAYING NO AND RESEARCHING. WHEN ALL OTHER COUNTRIES AND MERRILL DRUG KEPT PUSHING, UNDER PRESSURE! LET’S BE UNSUNG HEROES IN OUR MOVE FORWARD. PLEASE LOOK LONG AND HARD AT THIS BILL. OUR PEOPLE DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND TRANSPARENCY FROM WHO AND WHAT THEY MAY BRING.WATER IS AN ISSUE WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT! TUCKER COUNTY CONSERVES WATER IN THE SUMMER.PLEASE TAKE A LOOK IN STATES THAT HAVE DATA CENTERS ALREADY. THEY ARE PUTTING MORATORIUMS ON THESE CENTERS. THIS, IS OUR HEALTH, OUR PROPERTY VALUES, OUR RESOURCES. LET’S PUT A HOLD ON ALL UNTIL WE HAVE UPFRONT MEETINGS, NO DEALS BEHIND DOORS. COME TOGETHER WITH THESE COMMUNITIES. GIVE OUR STATE BOARDS TIME (90 DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH) TO REVIEW, RESEARCH AND COME BACK TO THE TABLE WITH MEANINGFUL MOVEMENT FORWARD. I AM NOT AGAINST PROGRESS BUT AM AGAINST PROGRESS THAT MAY TAKE US BACKWARDS INCURRING MORE MONEY TO PULL US OUT OF ISSUES CAUSED BY THESE CENTERS. ONE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH ON THE RIDGELINE DATA CENTER IN TUCKER COUNTY ESPECIALLY. 10,000 ACRES IS 15.5 MILES OF AVAILABLE LAND. HOW WILL WE EVER STOP THAT? IT’S NOT JOBS WHEN IT IS AI. IT IS JANITORIAL AND SECURITY JOBS. 10-15 AT THE MOST. THOSE ARE NOT JOBS THAT CHANGE AN ECONOMY. I HAVE RESEARCHED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. PLEASE CONSIDER THESE CENTERS NEED OUR LAND. DRAW THE BOUNDARY AND MAKE WV A STATE THAT RESEARCHES AND SAYS ENOUGH! YOU WANT TO COME HERE, PUT YOU MONEY ON THE TABLE, REVEAL YOUR ENTITY INSTEAD OF USING A MIDDLE MAN. RELEASE TRUE RECORDS OF HOW AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. TRUE RESEARCH, WHAT THEY DO TO OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS BEEN SO PROTECTED FOR YEARS. THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE, LETS WORK TOGETHER AND DO THE RESEARCH BEFORE WE SELL OUR SOULS YET AGAIN TO BIG MONEY AND THE HARM THAT IS LEFT BEHIND. I TRULY HOPE YOU WILL TAKE YOUR VOICE AND VOTE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT HAS YET TO BE SEEN ON HB2014 AND HB4983.  EITHER AMEND THE BILL OR LET IT DIE. WE NEED YOU AND ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO PROTECT US, YOUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF WV. SINCERELY, PAM HYLBERT-EDER

I am a WV native currently living in the Carolinas. I very much intended to move back to my home state for retirement. However I am shocked by your Data Center legislation. Total lack of transparency, no local control, no environmental safeguards, classifying large power plants as synthetic minor when they clearly are major. I just want you to know that you likely have lost a new WV resident for the sole reason of this ridiculous overreaching data center legislation. I do not want to live anywhere near a power plant with a data center.  Therefore there is no possible way to figure out a safe zone in WV where one of these will NOT be located.

Voting NO to this bill is the only way to represent the people and voters of WV. Elected officials have no business in eliminating transparency to the public for any industry. Private and business industries operate under the rule of laws of IRS and banking institutions and the classifications of the industry chosen. It is not for the state of WV to unconstitutionally create poltical laws that produce conflict of business and the people's interests. WV voters would vote by majorty of win to say NO to data centers. WV PSC should have all rules and regulations of any proposed data centers in this state for their energy and water needs - as all other businesses and residents in WV must follow. These conflict of interests done in the name of data centers do not reflect negatively upon our people for saying no to data centers in this state. But it does sadly reflect incompetence and ignorance and a selfishness for profits  - against all of our  people- by the elected officials who choose their own interests versus representing their people. WV has an election coming up. Anything done fraudulently and with conflict of interest of politics and policies against our people can be undone with new terms and new faces. Any poltical law can be amended. Remember this. I would advise everyone to consider where your integity is when you vote. Because the people will also cast their vote accordingly. WV voters says no to data centers.  Without 100% public transparency - as the WV PSC regulations would produce to the public - to be the authority over data centers for their water and eletricity needs- than anything else is a no go and should be voted NO on also.

I am writing you today as a concerned West Virginian. I urge you to reconsider the damage this bill will cause, for the people who have to live in WV. Our resources have already been depleted and they are continuing to be depleted. Data centers are not the answer. Data centers deplete water. Clean water is the most important resource we as West Virginia's deserve. Wayne County WV and Wyoming County are currently facing a water crisis due to what I believe is negligence from AEP. Oil is in the water. People cant shower, cant use the water from the tap and they are suffering! Wake Up! Not allowing transparency for the dangers these centers, that will destroy our land and water, puts West Virginians at risk. Im calling for full disclosure and transparency!

These rules fail to protect local communities and landowners:  (1) no provisions to regulate or track water usage;  (2) the developers are free to designate information as confidential;  (3) no provisions are made for local input or feedback;  (4) no accounting for environmental impacts;  and (5) no accountability from the Commerce Department.

This bill does not represent the interests of the vast majority of West Virginians. Our state already faces major issues with poor water quality due to acid mine drainage, chemical spills, fecal choliform, and other contaminants. Without proper oversight, data centers will exacerbate this issue. If we allow corporations to use our water unchecked, they will abuse it. In general, data center construction is unpopular among West Virginians, who overwhelmingly prize the state for its natural beauty. If we continue to allow companies like these to destroy our natural resources, we will have nothing left to give. Please do not allow data centers to kill our state.

As a West Virginian, Im commenting to express my concern over this bill. Projects such as this should be held to high standards regarding their impact on the communities they are put in. West Virginians deserve transpancy! Please vote out this bill a

You folks are just out of your ever lovin’ minds.  What have you got to hide?  Just keep selling us all down the river - it’s why all of my well educated kinfolk have left the state.  Your children and grandchildren (if they stay in the state) - will suffer for this.

I'm very disappointed that the majority of delegates didn't vote for the amendment to this bill.  I'm not opposed to data centers but they need to be regulated.  WV citizens deserve protections.  The current law allows communities NO input on location of data centers, NO protection on water supply and NO meaningful air quality protection.

While other states, including our neighbor, Kentucky, are working to protect their water, keep energy prices down, and make data centers take responsibility for the resources they use, this bill seeks to further give away our resources without requiring any responsibility to the owners and operators of these centers. West Virginia has long been victimized by large out-of-state companies coming in, using our resources, and leaving us with fouled water and higher bills. Please vote against this bill.

Please include a "voice" for local government to comment on the location of data centers. These facilities will significantly impact water resources. Local governments have knowledge of areas in their counties where historic water data. unique hydro-geological characteristics (such as those found in the Shenandoah Valley), annual rainfall (average and historic cycles) and projections for housing and population growth all need to be factored in as considerations. Without local government input and consideration, local communities will face an uncertain future. West Virginia cannot survive as a viable and attractive destination for future residential  growth or industrial locations if there's no guarantee for  a reasonable expectation of sustainable water resources. Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

My concerns on this bill reflect the impact on our communities, revenue for our state, as well as environmental protection. Unfortunately, I do not see in this bill how the state will hold data centers accountable with their use of water, power, taxes, and employment. Research has shown that an average consumption of power is 2 megawatt hours of power equating to 2,000 homes. How can our power grids sustain that usage, and what is the state going to do to ensure the company responsible for building this data center will incur the cost, not our residents? Will these centers bring jobs to our communities? Depending on size, can the state or company guarantee jobs that will sustain longer than just the construction process? Will these centers continue to employ multiple jobs (multiple totaling more than 100) per data center for our local residents long after construction is complete? How will these data centers be taxed for their usage and property tax? Research has shown, in the past, property tax only equates to the salvage cost of the building, and there appears to be some discrepancy as to how to account for usage. How will we ensure that our local rivers and streams will be protected and tested regularly for public safety? Data centers require large amounts of water for cooling and operations. I would like to see more information as to how data centers will benefit our state and our residents from a fiscal and environmental perspective and exactly how the state will use the revenue from these data centers. I greatly appreciate your time and efforts in helping WV and the people that reside here, thank you.

This bill is too centralized, cutting off local input. This is bad.

"BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICANS" strike again. DO NOT PASS THIS! Your citizens deserve the right to have a say what industry goes into our communities where WE have to live, unlike all of you. Data centers are not going to pay off for West Virginians, just for republican's bank accounts.

House Bill 4983 — one of the proposed data center bills — has passed out of the House Energy & Public Works Committee on Tuesday. It will be on the House floor for 2nd reading on Monday, February 16. (All Delegates can propose an amendment to the bill at this time.) During committee, a bipartisan amendment to add stronger transparency around water use was introduced. After nearly two hours of discussion, the amendment failed on an 8-12 vote, with 5 members absent. The bill advanced without added water-use disclosure requirements. PLEASE SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT TO HB 4983 FOR WATER USAGE TRANSPARENCY IN THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

Politicians jamming these data centers down the throats of West Virginians who clearly do not want them as "neighbors" speaks to their lack of true representation. Even this bill refers to them as 'a high impact data center'. Another example of representatives allowing out-of-state interests to take advantage of West Virginia with little benefit to the people living near these centers. Are we that desperate for new business?

Why would anyone vote against requiring DATA centers to have complete transparency on water usage? We have had a drought in the state the last two years and how many communities don't even have clean drinking water. I don't know what benefits these DATA centers will bring to the state. They will only provide a very few jobs, take up acres of land, use exorbitant amounts of water, cause noise pollution, light up our beautiful night skies with light pollution and use exorbitant amounts of electricity which will make our electric bills go up even more. So I ask, what do the people of this state get out of having DATA centers here?

Why would anyone vote against requiring DATA centers to have complete transparency on water usage? We have had a drought in the state the last two years and how many communities don't even have clean drinking water. I don't know what benefits these DATA centers will bring to the state. They will only provide a very few jobs, take up acres of land, use exorbitant amounts of water, cause noise pollution, light up our beautiful night skies with light pollution and use exorbitant amounts of electricity which will make our electric bills go up even more. So I ask, what do the people of this state get out of having DATA centers here?

This bill should not advance or pass as it does nothing to reduce the harms to the people of West Virginia in the parent bill passed last year. Giving only the state officials any say over data centers, and most of the property taxes they may pay, is a slap in the face to county and city officials and to the public--especially those who happen to live in the vicinity of one of the proposed data centers. Why are California billionaires our lords and masters, entitled to put their polluting, noisy, expensive, water-guzzling, energy-devouring monstrosities wherever they please in OUR state, while residents get just as much say in the matter as the local fieldmice? When relevant permits are issued in redacted form, that is an additional injury. If there is a drought, will the data centers have to shut down so that residents get enough water--or will residents be told they must sharply reduce use because the data centers must run 24/7? Same question if there is a power outage. Then there is the question of who will be left holding the bag if--or WHEN--the AI bubble bursts and most of the data centers are not needed. If the good of the people of WV is a significant consideration, the legislature should terminate this process and put any advance of the data centers on hold.

I strongly encourage you to support the amendment to this bill that increases disclosure requirements and assists communities in planning around water use.  The local impacts of the proposed data centers are far reaching and communities need more information.

It only makes sense that data centers must disclose facts about their water usage and I would add- how their usage affects water quality. I hope this bill addresses the latter.

PLEASE VOTE NO on HB 4983 or, at least, amend it to support greater transparency. In my experience, transparency is valuable to representative government.  Lack of transparency suggests there is something to hide.  This bill goes out of its way to underscore the latter.  I’m not an all-out opponent of AI or technology in general.  I am opposed to conducting government in the dark.

The existing regulations provide the public with minimal notice, few opportunities for feedback, and limited details about the companies' proposals. This severely hampers the public's ability to participate in the decision-making process. To improve transparency, an amendment is essential to guarantee that the public obtains comprehensive information about proposed data centers. West Virginians deserve access to key facts about these proposals, enabling them to express their concerns and protect their communities from possible negative impacts. This should include complete disclosure of information on environmental and community effects, such as projected air emissions, water usage and discharge, noise levels, traffic impacts, operating schedules, and demands on emergency services.

Re HB4983 I am asking all members to require transparency related to data centers being considered for communities in WV. From its beginning, WV has been raped by big companies, from taking our timber to taking our coal and leaving communities devastated when they leave. Data centers are going to potentially disrupt our power, our water (in places where we are fortunate to have clean water), our vistas, our general environment and communities deserve a right to be know about them and to be able to lobby against them. These data centers are going to go the way of the room-sized main frames of a couple of decades ago, and then the communities will be stuck, just like they're stuck w/ coal mine runoff, polluted air, etc.

I am writing to ask that you support an amendment to HB 4983 that improves transparency around water use. Water is life, and the unfortunate truth is that thousands of West Virginians do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. Data centers use significant amounts of water. Please support amendments that include water-use disclosure and planning safeguards.  

Del. Clark, the people who sent you to Charleston should be allowed to speak. This is still a democracy. please consider. “Data centers” are the same as “coal,” resources leave and nothing for the people.

I beg you, please do not consider these facilities. They will only do damage to our beautiful state. It is the oldest mountain range in the country. Its beauty does not deserve to be destroyed, ecosystems destroyed, water systems further polluted and populations driven away. Please don't. There are other means to bring more money into the state. Find businesses to occupy vacant buildings and rotting lots. Like Century in Ravenswood, WV. We are already destroying so much for these damn solar panels that absolutely do not serve a purpose outside of the corporations installing them, another argument for another day.

It is imperative that data centers share all data regarding community impacts with the people of WV and our agencies charged with overseeing their work and environmental impact. WV is no longer for sale to the lowest bidder. We have lived and suffered through extraction industries. We are done giving away all that is good. In the last 25 years we have worked hard to build tourism and market WV as a remote work and retirement destination. This is working. Mega data centers or any other proposed partner that redacts key information is not a good partner. Do not enable WV to be used again. We are better and stronger than that. We also know how to grow our economy in healthy ways. Let’s work together to do that. We have a strong public-private partnership of economic developers. Ask them where the investments are needed. WV has abundant natural resources. We owe it to each other to responsibly manage them. No one else will protect what is ours like we can