West Virginia Governor Unveils $12B Data Center Project in Mason County

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced a major new data center development in Mason County, marking one of the largest infrastructure investments in the state's history. Starwood Digital Ventures, the company behind the project, has received a high-impact data center certification and plans to inject $12 billion into the facility, according to the governor's announcement on Thursday.

The project is expected to demand approximately 2.16 gigawatts of power, a scale that underscores the growing energy requirements of artificial intelligence-driven computing infrastructure. Governor Morrisey stated that Starwood Digital Ventures will front the infrastructure costs, a move that could set a precedent for how large-scale data centers finance their grid connections in the region.

In a parallel development, state officials have also approved a certification for Nscale, a company that recently moved to acquire the Monarch Computer Campus. That acquisition secures up to 2,250 acres, also located in Mason County, for what is described as the first state-certified utility grid dedicated to carrying artificial intelligence workloads. The certification marks a significant step in positioning West Virginia as a hub for AI-ready data infrastructure.

The momentum around the campus accelerated further when Anthropic, the company behind the AI assistant Claude, reached a $45 billion agreement with Nscale to utilize the site for computing operations. The deal highlights the growing appetite among AI firms for dedicated, large-scale compute capacity in regions with supportive regulatory frameworks.

The announcements build on a broader state strategy to attract data center investment. Last year, Governor Morrisey unveiled plans to triple West Virginia's electric production by mid-century, a goal aimed at making the state a key player in powering AI data centers. Additionally, in 2025, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill 2014, which created a microgrid program specifically designed to lure data center projects to the state.

However, the recent surge in data center proposals has not been without controversy. Residents of West Virginia have raised concerns about transparency and the environmental impact of these large-scale developments, as communities weigh the economic benefits against potential strain on local resources and landscapes.