The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom Presents: When Data Centers Come to Town

A blue graphic with an enlarged microchip above the words "When Data Centers Come to Town." — The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom is bringing you a series of features about the impacts of data centers in our region.

There’s a new gold rush underway, and this time it’s about computing power. All across Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia, developers are proposing and building major data centers.

Some officials are touting the potential economic benefits of the projects. Many residents are packing local meetings throughout the region to push back.

Each week through Sept. 8, the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom and its seven member stations will bring you a new story about how data centers impact our electricity grid, environment and communities.

Stories in this series

With more data centers on the horizon, communities worry about rising electricity bills

Curtis Tate

Residents across Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia have packed public meetings in recent months to speak out against data centers, with a recurring concern being how they could affect the cost of electricity.
As data center developers eye West Virginia, local communities feel overlooked

Chris Schulz

Data center development is a fast growing industry, with projects popping up in seemingly every corner of the country. But that’s not been the case in West Virginia so far. Now, state officials are rolling out the red carpet for the expensive and increasingly expansive projects.

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