Developer of the Ridgeline Facility in Tucker County finally laid some cards on the table, and they confirmed what I feared most. Ridgeline will be a game changer, and the mountaintop — with all its beauty, history and recreation — will never be the same again.
After months of secrecy, Fundamental Data (FD) fessed up to its plans in response to three U.S. Senators from Rhode Island, New Mexico and Maryland, two of which are ranking members of the committees on the Environment/Public Works and Energy/Natural Resources. (See April 1 article “Fundamental Data Responds to U.S. Senate Request.”)
By FD’s own admission, Ridgeline was never intended as a “modest project.” In addition to the natural gas/diesel combined cycle power plant and a data center, nearly 1.3 gigawatts of solar generation is planned — making it “one of the largest solar projects” in the country.” (Estimates put that type of solar field at 6,500+ acres.) The site will also be structured to grow, possibly including other types of generation — even nuclear.
The developer strategically selected the Thomas/Davis site because there are competitive advantages. The high elevation, they say, reduces cooling demands for power generation, cutting costs. And in addition to its plentiful gas, electric transmission and water resources, they like this vulnerable area because it lacks local zoning, permitting and regulation that “add cost and time” elsewhere.
Much of the response downplayed the impact of the plant’s emissions on local health and boasted about how it plans to conform to the letter of the law under the air quality permit it received. (The same permit is under appeal for the second time because many believe it isn’t sufficient to control emissions from a project of Ridgeline’s magnitude.)
As a West Virginia native, it makes me sad to see any opposition to this project fall on the deaf ears of state officials. They are set on making it easy for outside developers to run roughshod over residents and exploit the state’s natural resources when it comes to data centers.
Janice DePollo Lantz
Greensburg, PA
