West Virginia Secures $4 Billion Artificial Intelligence Data Center Investment
Penzance project marks the state's first High Impact Intelligence Center designation.
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2026 – West Virginia secured a $4 billion private-sector investment from Penzance Management to develop the state’s first designated High Impact Intelligence Center, Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) announced on Feb. 26.
The project, known as the Bedington Campus, will be built on 548 acres in Berkeley County’s Falling Waters District. At full buildout, the development is expected to total approximately 1.9 million square feet and deliver 600 megawatts of information technology capacity, positioning the state to support artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced manufacturing workloads.
State officials said the investment would create about 1,000 construction jobs and 125 permanent positions. No state funding was used for the project, according to the governor’s office.
“This $4 billion investment is a historic win that proves West Virginia can compete at the highest level for the global tech economy,” Morrisey said. He attributed the project to the state’s business climate and energy strategy.
Penzance Managing Partner Victor Tolkan said the company selected West Virginia in part because of legislation designed to streamline permitting and expand microgrid use. The project qualified for High Impact Intelligence Center status after exceeding a 90-megawatt projected load threshold and completing engineering, environmental and utility coordination requirements, officials said.
The investment was enabled by recent state laws including the Power Generation and Consumption Act and House Bill 2002, which aimed to accelerate permitting and support on-site power generation. Under the state’s microgrid framework, revenue generated from qualifying projects is directed to tax reduction, county governments, grid stabilization and economic development funds.
Berkeley County Commission President Eddie Gochenour said the county was evaluating the use of reclaimed water to support the facility while preserving local resources.
The announcement added to more than $10.5 billion in private-sector investment secured by the administration since October, according to the governor’s office.
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