MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Delegate David McCormick, R, Monongalia, 82, wants to see more effort at the state level to bring data centers and take advantage of the provisions of House Bill 2014.
House Bill 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act, establishes a certified microgrid program. The bill encourages data centers to locate in the Mountain State by allowing companies to create their own energy grids while bypassing some local regulations.
“I was in support of House Bill 2014 to track these data centers to West Virginia,” McCormick said. “Why are we helping Virginia? That’s what we’re doing.”
The cost of construction would be passed on to ratepayers for the 105-mile line from Greene County, Pennsylvania, to Frederick County, Virginia. The only benefit to the state is an improved reliability of the electric grid in exchange for a 200-foot right-of-way through valuable recreation areas and farmland.
“It doesn’t seem to me that it benefits West Virginia due to the fact we get nothing out of it and our rates are going up,” McCormick said. “Somebody has to pay for that line, and it’s the rate payers.”
Northern Virginia has earned the nickname “Data Center Alley,” and Ashburn has one of the largest concentrations of the facilities. Areas like Chantilly, South Riding, and areas near Dulles Airport are also adding data centers.
“They are starving for electricity in Virginia, so they’re using our rights-of-way to get it there,” McCormick said. “Well, we want the data centers to come here, and we’re working hard to get them—state economic development folks and others.”
Laws in Virginia have passed in recent years to move away from coal-fired electricity generation. The Virginia Clean Economy Act was signed into law in 2020 by then-Governor Ralph Northam. That bill directs coal-fired plants to be retired, and 100 percent of electricity must be produced by renewable sources by 2050.
“I’m for West Virginia. I’m not for Virginia,” McCormick said. “Maybe you shouldn’t have shut down those coal-fired power plants. Maybe you should restart those and buy some coal. How about that?”
Data centers contribute a great deal to the gross domestic product and local economies. The jobs created range from construction in the beginning to transitioning to engineers, technicians, and IT specialists.
“I’m for economic development, and that’s why I ran, and when I wake up in the morning, I think about how I can help West Virginia and help businesses in West Virginia, McCormick said. “We need to get some of these data centers here, and I don’t know why we’re helping Virginia.”