Local chapters of the NAACP in West Virginia have joined together in unanimously opposing new construction of data centers, signing on to a resolution demanding a statewide moratorium.
Data center growth in the Mountain State is on the rise. It is estimated fewer than a dozen smaller centers are currently in operation and around 10 large-scale projects have been proposed.
Loretta Young, president of the West Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, said local chapters in the state and across the nation are worried about how the projects could affect the cost of utilities.
"The water and sewer bills in West Virginia are already among the highest in the country and electricity bills have been increasing in West Virginia due to higher demands on the power grid," Young pointed out.
State legislation now makes it easier for such facilities to be built. Last year, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrissey signed House Bill 2014, also known as the Power Generation and Consumption Act, into law. The legislation allows high-impact data centers to build and operate independent microgrids to generate their own power, designed specifically to attract massive technology investments.
Young believes data center construction is related to quality of life for people in underserved communities, adding West Virginia residents, especially those in McDowell County, have suffered from a history of resource extraction.
"If a local community doesn't want a data center monopolizing the water supply, driving up utility rates and reducing their quality of life through excessive noise and light pollution, that should be the end of the discussion," Young contended.
State officials recently developed what they called a plan for responsible data center development, which includes proposals to protect ratepayers and direct revenue to local schools and governments.
West Virginia NAACP wants statewide data center moratorium was first published by Public News Service and is republished with permission.
Nadia Ramlagan is a Louisville, Kentucky-based radio journalist, podcast producer, and editor.
