OGA: Google purchases land for a potential data center in Putnam County West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey says the project is still in early stages By Abbey Lord and Charlie Roth Published: Mar. 27, 2026 at 9:10 AM EDT PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A new potential data center is on the way. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday that Google has purchased land in Putnam County near Buffalo and received approval for a multibillion-dollar “High Impact Development Project.” “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 in a statement. “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.” Because the process is still in its early stages, there are few details as to exactly what the investment will look like, including: the exact dollar amount, the number of jobs it would bring in, emissions, or the timeline. The announcement elicited mixed reactions from the Buffalo and Putnam County community, with residents like Michael Mosteller expressing their anger, while State Del. Katie Crouse (R-Putnam) said it was a “great opportunity.” “I want to get out of this area ... and I’m a cancer survivor,” resident Chad Minamyer told WSAZ. “I had brain cancer in 2012. So I do not want to live next to something like that.” With the proposed development, Buffalo will be sandwiched between two major corporations: Google to the north, and Toyota’s decades-old plant to the south. And with the Kanawha River to the west and a hillside to the east, Buffalo Mayor Conrad Cain said there’s nowhere for the town to expand to capture the potential economic growth from the new development. “We can’t grow. We can’t go either way,” Cain told WSAZ. “Every town needs to expand ... towns are nice, but if they don’t grow, they don’t do well. You’ve got to keep up and have businesses. If you don’t have land, you can’t put many businesses in.” Cain doesn’t blame Google or Toyota for the squeeze, explaining the two plots of land have been owned by a large corporation for decades, most recently Appalachian Power. “The power company has always wanted somebody that’s going to use electricity,” he explained. “That’s why you have Toyota. That’s why you have Google. They use electricity. And you can’t blame the power company for that.” Still, Cain said he’s “tickled to death” about the development, hoping Google will be a good neighbor as he sees Toyota. Still, he says he’s hesitant to start making any further plans surrounding the development before Google’s plans are more finalized - noting he only heard about the development Thursday. “I’m kind of waiting to see the earth move,” he told WSAZ. Governor Morrisey said in an interview with WSAZ that he sees data center projects like this one as lucrative for the state. “We don’t want to be poor anymore,” he said. “We want to break out of poverty. So when we can get this kind of billion dollar investment, or multiple-billion dollar investment, you have to look at those.” Morrisey said the state is still careful to ensure environmental and economic factors are taken into account. “We care about the quality of the water and the air, the noise, the noise, the setbacks,” he told WSAZ. “And we know the importance of having good relations with the communities. We also know that we set up a new law framework that’s going to return an incredible amount of money back to the people.” “I’m going to promise people that I’m working so hard to make sure that these are not going to be blights on the community,” he continued. “It has to work well for the local community.” According to the governor’s office, Google has committed to covering 100% of the electricity used to power the facility. Morrisey also said Google will pay for necessary electrical, water and sewer upgrades tied to the project, with the goal of ensuring those costs are not passed on to residential households. “Google has further pledged to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030, targeting 120 percent replenishment on average across its operations while supporting water security in the communities where it operates,” Governor Morrisey said. “We are excited about this partnership between the State of West Virginia and Google.” Clay Allsop, Google’s regional head of data center public affairs, confirmed the land purchase and said the company is “early in the process.” “We are appreciative of the strong business environment created by Governor Morrisey to provide a pathway for projects of this scale,” Allsop said. “We look forward to partnering with the governor and local leaders in Putnam County on this opportunity here in West Virginia.” “We don’t know the long-term health effects of living near something like that. Who knows what might happen to some of these people 20, 30 years from now if they don’t move away,” Minamyer said. The Putnam County Development Authority said in a statement: “This morning, Google confirmed that it acquired land in Buffalo, WV, for a potential data center campus. The company has and continues to conduct thorough due diligence to determine whether this site is a viable location. Google has company goals committed to sustainability and ‘paying its way’ regarding utility infrastructure while complying with all state and federal permitting processes. The company engaged the Putnam County Development Authority to better understand the local community and has been receptive to the PCDA’s feedback on ways it can provide value. 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.“ Governor Morrisey said additional details are expected later as discussions continue. /Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved./ Tri-State CW A Gray Local Media Station © 2002-2026 search by queryly Advanced Searchclose