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Morrisey: Google commits to build data center campus in Putnam County, WV; limited details available
By: Caity Coyne - March 27, 2026 3:17 pm
Another high impact data center will be coming to West Virginia soon, this time brought by Google and located in Putnam County, according to a news release from Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
The Putnam County Development Authority said in a separate statement that the data center complex will be located in Buffalo. Per Morrisey, the Google development will “be covering 100% of the electricity used to power the facility.”
The company, according to Morrisey, has also “pledged to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030,” with the goal of “targeting 120 percent replenishment on average across its operations while supporting water security.”
Google has also committed to covering all potential upgrades needed for electric, water and sewage infrastructure that would be necessary for the company to locate in the region. No other information was immediately available Friday regarding how the facility will be powered, its size, exact location, potential emissions or a timeline for completion.
The announcement is the latest in a string of data center-related developments that have come to the state since the passage of House Bill 2014 last year. In his release, Morrisey directly credited HB 2014 for making the Google project possible. He said the legislation “established a clear and predictable framework for data center projects, ensuring consistency in siting while maintaining existing environmental protections.”
“Google’s decision to come in West Virginia is a strong signal that our state is competing and winning for the jobs and industries of the future,” Morrisey said. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity we are working to bring here — one that creates jobs, strengthens infrastructure, and positions West Virginia for long-term growth.”
Morrisey announced that the state certified its first high-impact data center, located in Berkeley County, last month. There, a real estate firm has purchased land in Bedington that will be used to build a data center complex. Penzance, the company undertaking the project, said that it will be seeking out tenants to use the facility when it nears completion.
At the press conference for the Berkeley County development, Morrisey said he believed Penzance was “doing things the right way” by involving local community stakeholders, including the county commission, in early discussions.
But at a community meeting in Berkeley County on March 20, hundreds of residents spent hours voicing their concerns over how the project will function and potentially alter their communities. Now, they’re the latest group to start organizing in response to such a project.
Berkeley County Commission President Eddie Gochenour told residents at that meeting that he and other officials only learned of the project days before it was publicly announced. He also shared concerns he had about HB 2014; in 2025 Gochenour was one of several county commissioners who raised concerns about the bill due to it diverting a majority of tax revenue away from local governments.
Under HB 2014 and accompanying rules that were passed by the Legislature this session, nearly all information provided by developers for high impact data centers will be redacted and unavailable to the public. All but 30% of tax revenue produced by projects will be sent to the state, leaving local communities to deal with the brunt of the potential environmental and health impacts while only recouping a fraction of the revenue. The bill also strips local governments of the right to enforce any local zoning ordinances or regulations against the developments.
Across West Virginia — from Tucker to Mingo to Mason counties — residents have spent the last year organizing to get more answers on how proposed facilities could irreversibly change their home towns, as well as public health and the environment. They have demanded more transparency from developers and the government. They want to know how thirsty data centers could impact their water quantity and quality, as well as their utility rates. They would like to see some power given back to localities that will house these complexes.
But answers and concessions to these demands have been few and far between.
In Putnam County, Morgan Tenney, the executive director of the county development authority, said in a statement that county leaders feel optimistic about the Google project.
Tenney said the company is committed to sustainability and “paying its way” related to utility infrastructure needed to make a data center campus function. She said Google approached the PCDA early in the process to “better understand the local community,” and representatives for the global tech giant have been “receptive” to feedback.
“PCDA is enthusiastic to see what positive impact Google can make in West Virginia after learning about the company’s impact in other states through primary and ancillary jobs, infrastructure improvements, and significant financial contributions,” Tenney said in a statement.
Federal lawmakers joined in on celebrating the announcement on Friday. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said on social media that “everyone is catching on to what West Virginia has to offer.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., posted that she was “thrilled” about the project and “excited” to collaborate with the company