Some of the largest industrial projects ever proposed in the Eastern Panhandle are moving forward, and much of what governs them never reaches a public agenda.

The intent of this site to provide information about data center devepment proposals in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. We explore what has been disclosed and what information is shielded from public view, and attempt to provide an estimation of potential costs and benefits to help communities understand how these projects will impact them.

How To Read This Website

Every claim here carries one of three marks.

Documented
Drawn from ... The source is linked.
Not disclosed
A question we put to the public record and could not answer. The absence is the finding.
Estimated
Our calculation from published figures. Method and assumptions are shown so you can check them.

The Proposed Data Center Sites, And Who It Will Affect

Documented

Penzance - Bedington, WV

500+ Acres, certified under HB2014, approved by Berkeley County Commission

Source: [document name, agency, date]

Documented

QTS - Kearneysville, WV

300+ Acres, predates HB2014, approved by Berkeley County Commission

Source: [document name, agency, date]

What is not disclosed

These are not gaps in our research. Each one is a question we put to the public record and could not answer. Where we asked an agency or a company directly and received no response, we say so and give the date. -- WORK ON WORDING

Not disclosed

Full build-out water demand.

Placeholder. what is missing, which filing would normally hold it, why the public can't access it

Not disclosed

Placeholder — second undisclosed item.

Placeholder.

What can reasonably be estimated

Where a figure has not been disclosed, it can sometimes be estimated from figures that have been. Every estimate below shows its inputs and its method. If our arithmetic is wrong, we want to hear about it.

Estimated

Annual electricity demand at full build-out.

Placeholder figure.

How this was calculated

Placeholder: Methodology

Estimated

Placeholder — water estimate.

Placeholder figure.

How this was calculated

Method goes here.

Project Blue Jay

Blurb about this project

Documented

  • Location: Berkeley County, WV on farmland in Bedington near Scrabble Road and Berkeley Station Road
  • Developer: Penzance (Virginia-based company)
  • Acreage: 548 acres
  • IT Load: 600 MW
  • Estimated Temporary Jobs: 1000+
  • Estimated Permanent Jobs: 125+ (90k-110k each)
  • Other disclosed: etc
Sources

class="source">Source: [document name, agency, date]

Not disclosed

  • Cooling technology:
  • Server base:
  • Tenant:
  • Water, energy, mitigation etc -- anything on HB2014 application:
Sources

Add relevent details like who can answer these questions, etc

class="source">Source: [document name, agency, date]

Project Carmel

Blurb about this project

Documented

  • Location: Berkeley and Jeffereson County, WV on an old orchard in Kearneysville; adjacent to the Hospice of the Eastern Panhandle, XX miles from the VA medical center, and immediately neighboring several residiential communities and new home construction
  • Developer: QTS
  • Acreage: 90 acres in Berkeley County, 190 acres in Jeffereson County
  • IT Load: undisclosed
  • Tenant: QTS (this company builds and occupies their own data centers)
Sources

class="source">Source: [document name, agency, date]

Not disclosed

  • Cooling technology:
  • Server base:
  • Estimated Temporary Jobs: undisclosed
  • Estimated Permanent Jobs: undiclosed
  • Other disclosed:
  • I could be wrong, but I think there is a plan that the BC planning commission has seen, but is not public -- need to verify what is and is not known here (not under HB 2014):
Sources

Add relevent details like who can answer these questions, etc

class="source">Source: [document name, agency, date]

What can reasonably be estimated

Where a figure has not been disclosed, it can sometimes be estimated from figures that have been. Every estimate below shows its inputs and its method. If our arithmetic is wrong, we want to hear about it.

Estimated

Annual electricity demand at full build-out.

Placeholder figure. Estimates will be based on Penzance 600 MW disclosure only as QTS has not disclosed any information about data center capacity or engineering

How this was calculated

Placeholder: Methodology

Estimated

Placeholder — water estimate.

Placeholder figure.

How this was calculated

Method goes here.

Where To Go Next