A small group of protestors gathered in Giles County Monday to oppose a potential data center across the state line in Monroe County.
The protestors live in West Virginia and Virginia, and they held signs to raise awareness of data center projects throughout the region.
“I think it’s really important that we stand together on this because central Appalachia is being exploited again,” said Hazel Wines, who has been involved in organizing against a potential data center project near her home of Pulaski County.
“And that has to cross town lines. It has to cross across county and state lines. And it has to cross party lines, if we’re going to stop the extraction of our water and the massive amounts of power that are needed,” Wines said.
This protest was held outside the law office of Jason Buckland, who owns property in nearby Monroe County, West Virginia. For months, rumors have circulated that data center developers are interested in building on his land. Mr. Buckland declined to comment for this story.
Reni Fulton lives a few miles from the potential site. “We are concerned about the agricultural land being desecrated really for a huge operation like a data management center, where we are going to encounter noise, pollution,” Fulton said. “We do not want these centers where we live.
Monroe County commissioners say they don’t have specific information on any data center projects. They issued a statement earlier this year saying state officials did visit Monroe County with a prospective data center company. Commissioners said because of West Virginia legislation that was signed into law in 2025, county governments no longer have a say in whether a data center project can go ahead in their community.
Radio IQ reached out to the West Virginia Department of Commerce for information about the possible data center project. A spokesperson said their agency does not comment on potential development site activity.
