NPR: Proposed West Virginia data center raises light-pollution and land-use concerns
Briefing by News4U · First published
NPR Business reports that Purcellville-based Fundamental Data LLC plans a 785-megawatt natural-gas power plant and data-center campus on a reclaimed coal-mining site in Tucker County, West Virginia, initially covering 291 acres and potentially expanding to thousands of acres. The company says the on-site generation will avoid grid impacts, but residents and astronomers warn the project could raise sky glow near Blackwater Falls State Park by 528%, jeopardizing its dark-sky certification. Spokesperson Casey Chapman says safety lighting is required for round-the-clock operations and that fixtures will be “well-designed” to limit light pollution. [1]
Sources
- Plans for a data center threaten scenic wilderness and dark skies in West Virginia
NPR Business · · Excerpt