West Virginia wants more data centers, even as other states slam the brakes on them Americans of all political stripes have grown wary of data centers, a backlash that threatens to stifle the artificial-intelligence boom. On a 1,700-acre industrial site in West Virginia’s Putnam County, Google is working to build a $7 billion data-center campus of up to nine buildings. Local officials hope a groundbreaking ceremony will take place next year and that about 600 jobs will be created by the project, which is still in the permitting stages.
The largest private employer in this corner of West Virginia is Toyota , with more than 2,100 workers at an engine and transmission plant about two miles from where the data center will be located. Google identified the location by working with the local utility, American Electric Power , to find sites that had readily available electricity, said Morganne Tenney, executive director of the Putnam County Development Authority. Copyright ©2026 MarketWatch, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 I retired last year with $3.4M after 31 years in law enforcement. I’ll get $8.4K a month in income. What are my next moves for retirement?
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Now he says the yields make it attractive. AMD’s stock slides after Intel earnings reveal two big issues Claudia Assis is a San Francisco–based reporter for MarketWatch. Follow her on Twitter @ClaudiaAssisMW.
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