The proposed campus will initially occupy a 291-acre reclaimed coal site powered primarily by natural gas with diesel backup, potentially expanding across thousands of acres in Tucker and Grant counties. Although generating on-site power could shield local residents from electricity rate increases, astronomers warn the initial buildout could cause a 528 percent surge in sky glow near Blackwater Falls. In response, company representatives pledge to deploy targeted lighting to protect the area's pursuit of dark-sky certification. Gateway communities such as Davis and Thomas remain wary that massive computing infrastructure will disrupt their outdoor recreation economies.
Key points
Residents fear the massive power and computing campus will compromise the dark skies and…: Residents fear the massive power and computing campus will compromise the dark skies and wilderness bordering the Monongahela National Forest.
The developer plans to implement specialized lighting to protect Blackwater Falls State P…: The developer plans to implement specialized lighting to protect Blackwater Falls State Park from losing dark-sky certification opportunities.
Gateway towns reliant on conservation and tourism face industrial expansion as tech firms…: Gateway towns reliant on conservation and tourism face industrial expansion as tech firms seek massive tracts for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
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DAVIS, W.Va. — Stretching nearly a million acres through the rugged mountains of eastern West Virginia, the Monongahela National Forest links some of the state's best known natural attractions. The vast area ranges from the ski slopes of Canaan Valley to the dark skies of Blackwater Falls and Spruce Knob and includes the small towns of Davis and Thomas that serve as gateways for visitors to the region.
For the past seven months, Kaleb Skelton, his wife, Ella, their 2-year-old son, Ryder, and dog Mabel have lived in a camper in this corner of West Virginia's "almost heaven." Kaleb is finishing a seasonal stint as a campground manager on a lake near Spruce Knob, the state's highest point.
On clear nights atop the isolated peak, they get to experience a river of stars in one of the very few pockets of darkness remaining in the Eastern United States. The area has become a draw for amateur astronomers.
During summer's new moons, Kaleb says, one in four campsites he oversees is occupied by someone with a telescope. He thought his family's…
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