Data centers in Marion County, West Virginia: 2 projects mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

Marion County's computing history runs through the I-79 High Technology Park near Fairmont, where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration runs its Environmental Security Computing Center, used to store climate and weather data and to model forecasts and disasters. NOAA is adding a $100 million supercomputer named Rhea there. West Virginia High Tech Foundation chief Jim Estep called it "one of the first big things that (the park) expansion was in preparation for," and said it would help NOAA use artificial intelligence and machine learning in weather, ocean and climate forecasting.

Next door, a commercial proposal is at the study stage. In May 2026 Hog Lick Aggregates, a limestone and sandstone supplier, said it had begun a feasibility study of a natural-gas-powered microgrid and data center on its 277-acre site in White Hall, cooled geothermally with water from a nearby shuttered coal mine rather than fresh water. The company pitched it as a way to serve the NOAA facility and to fit Gov. Patrick Morrisey's "50 X 50" energy plan. President Brian Redmond acknowledged concerns about "strain to existing infrastructure" but pointed to jobs and tax base. He said there is no timeframe, the study could take several years, and the company is also open to manufacturing or commercial use of the land. The proposal drew criticism on Facebook when it surfaced.

If a project there were certified under the state's 2025 microgrid law, House Bill 2014, local government would have little say. That law bars counties and cities from enforcing ordinances such as noise or pollution limits against certified developments. When the House approved rules to carry it out in February 2026, by 78 to 16, Del. Laura Kimble, a Harrison County Republican, voted no because they still did not restore local control or address water.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.