West Virginia

Weather/Climate activates on extreme-heat large-load curtailment affecting power infrastructure (W3): U.S. DOE Federal Power Act §202(c) emergency orders in 2026 (including Nos. 202-26-23, 202-26-33, 202-26-33a, and 202-26-35) authorized PJM to direct ≥50 MW large loads — the hyperscale data-center profile — onto onsite backup generation during heat-wave reliability emergencies as a last resort before or during EEA Level 3 (DOE Order 202-26-23; DOE Order 202-26-35). Energy/Power and Capital Flows co-stress: HB 2014's specialized data-center/microgrid tax structure and revenue-split formula reroute property-tax value away from host counties (Berkeley warns of artificially inflated local shares and lost state school aid), and reform bill HB 4822 would divert data-center tax increment into a Public Insurance Financial Stability Fund and grid-stabilization fund — a direct fiscal/insurability dimension (WV MetroNews; WV HB 4822). Water/Geology stressed via Tucker/Berkeley residents' water-use and buffer-zone demands.

None identified. No 2026 WV federal, gubernatorial, or legislative race has become data-center-defining; the debate is legislative and county-local. Senate President Randy Smith (R-Preston), who represents Tucker County, signaled openness to revisiting HB 2014's local-control/tax provisions but did not endorse a fix in 2026 (News From The States).

None identified — the opposite posture prevails. HB 2014 (2025, Code 5B-2-21a / 11-6N-2) preempts counties/municipalities from regulating certified microgrid/high-impact data-center districts and centralizes control in Charleston, diverting all but ~30% of tax revenue to the state (MultiState; The Real WV, Mar. 23 2026). 2026 reform bills to restore local control/water limits (SB 658; HB 4822; HB 4854; HB 5411 'Energy Freedom and Fairness Act'; SB 623) were introduced but none advanced onto committee agendas (News From The States; WV HB 4854).

No enacted 2026 ratepayer-protection law. Introduced-but-stalled measures include HB 4854 (bar state/subdivision subsidization of data centers), HB 4822 (reallocate high-impact-data-center property-tax increment, including to local school boards and a Public Insurance Financial Stability Fund and grid-stabilization fund), and HB 5411 (retail choice for 1 MW+ non-residential users) (WV HB 4854; WV HB 4822; WV HB 5411). Berkeley County publicly disputes HB 2014's tax-distribution formula, warning of inflated local shares and reduced state school aid (WV MetroNews, Apr. 26 2026).

None identified. Ballotpedia's 2026 data-center ballot-measure tracker lists CA, MI, NV, WI — not West Virginia.

Fundamental Data LLC (Tucker Co., between Thomas and Davis) — data center powered by a 1,656 MW on-site natural-gas plant; opposed by residents but shielded by HB 2014 preemption (MultiState). Penzance Management $4B campus (Berkeley Co., Falling Waters/Bedington) — hundreds packed a Spring Mills town hall in opposition (WV MetroNews, Mar. 23 2026; The Real WV).

Not a dominant stressor. Residents/comments note data centers 'don't offer many jobs' relative to their footprint, but no distinct AI-displacement or construction-organizing story rises to inclusion level (WV Legislature public comments).

Emerging; anchored by large single campuses (Fundamental Data in Tucker Co.; Penzance $4B in Berkeley Co.) rather than an established cluster (The Real WV).

"When we saw it, it was drafted mostly as a micro-grid bill, but then when we flipped the page, it's all over data centers ... local level oversight of those projects would be taken away." — Berkeley County Commission President Eddie Gochenour (The Real WV, Mar. 23 2026).

MultiState; News From The States; The Real WV; WV MetroNews Berkeley tax; WV HB 4854; WV HB 4822; DOE Order 202-26-23; DOE Order 202-26-35