The site
The site from above
Construction from orbit
What radar sees on the ground
From orbit, radar shows no structures rising on the site through Oct. 2026. The optical (Sentinel-2) series for this campus is not in yet, so there is no roof or clearing reading. That fits our stage: permits issued.
Construction from orbit: very bright radar echoes, as a share of the site
How this works: Sentinel-1 radar sees through cloud every 6–12 days. Over a 1.5 km square around the site point (no outline is mapped) (about 560 acres) we count the share of very bright radar echoes: walls and steel bounce the signal straight back, so that share rises as buildings go up. Wet ground can lift it for a few weeks, so we read the trend, not single readings. Black ticks mark our stage dates. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem.
Power
Power and the grid
None energized or contracted yet · 785 MW permitted
Phase 1 gas turbinesPermitted, under appeal, not built
permitted as a synthetic-minor source with diesel backup; turbine make and count redacted as confidential; company says it will use about 800 MW News report · Aug. 2025
Phase 2 gasAnnounced, unpermitted
announced May 2026 with enough data-center buildings to use it; no air-permit application found State agency · May 2026
SolarPlanned (company)
planned alongside Phase 1 per the company; no solar filing found State agency · May 2026
PermittedProposed
Not used, not on record, or dropped
- Utility grid Not usednone: off-grid microgrid, no interconnection request or utility service State agency · June 2025
Getting on the grid
Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.
- March 18, 2025Air application receivedThe project first became public through the air-permit application, with no earlier announcement; local officials said it came out of the blue. State agency · March 2025
- Aug. 15, 2025Air permit issuedThe state issues construction permit R13-3713 for the 785 MW gas plant, with formaldehyde limits added after public comment. see Permits
- Feb. 11, 2026Permit reissued after appeal rulingThe permit is reissued with one added testing condition after the state air board upheld it. see Lawsuits
- As of Oct. 2026No Phase 2 filingNo air-permit application exists for the announced additional 3.1 GW of gas generation. see Permits
- Not setGas supply: none on recordNo gas supply agreement, pipeline lateral or federal pipeline approval was found; a Columbia Gas transmission line passes about 1.5 km away. Dataset · Oct. 2026
- The permit does not name an end user for the power, and any sale of power was undecided when it was approved. State agency · June 2025
- No plant for this campus appears in EIA's federal generator inventory (EIA-860M, Aug. 2026). That inventory covers grid-connected plants only, so an off-grid plant may not be listed yet. State agency · Oct. 2026
On-site generation on file
- Generating units on the permit: Combustion turbine + HRSG fleet permitted on an aggregate basis (unit count and model not disclosed in the public permit documents - claimed CBI); dual-fuel natural gas / diesel; SCR and oxidation catalyst State agency · Aug. 2025
Permits
Permits checklist
1 contested · 2 granted · 3 checked, nothing on file
- !Appeal of the air permit ContestedWest Virginia Air Quality Board, then Intermediate Court of Appeals · March 6, 2026: board upheld the permit Feb. 5, 2026; appeals filed in state appeals court by citizen groups and by an attorney over redactions, no hearing dates set News report · March 2026
- ✓Air construction permit, 785 MW gas plant GrantedWest Virginia DEP Division of Air Quality · Aug. 15, 2025: issued Aug. 15, 2025; revised Feb. 11, 2026 to add testing after the air board upheld it State agency · Aug. 2025
- ✓Site control check GrantedWest Virginia DEP Division of Air Quality · Aug. 13, 2026: after citizen groups questioned the land deal, the agency found the 291-acre purchase agreement matches the permit plans News report · Aug. 2026
- –Checked, nothing on file: Phase 2 air permit (additional 3.1 GW), High-impact data center certification, Utility service or regulator filing
Risks
What could slow it down
- HighAir permit under appealTwo appeals are pending in the state Intermediate Court of Appeals, one on the permit's merits and one on redacted application data; no hearing dates are set. see Lawsuits
- HighNo tenant, end user or financingThe permit names no end user for the power, no tenant or lender is on record, and the developer says it is building only the power portion. Dataset · Oct. 2026
- HighOrganized local oppositionTucker United, the Highlands Conservancy, Sierra Club and Friends of Blackwater oppose the plant, and 1,605 written comments were mostly against it. News report · March 2026
- MediumState politics turned against the rolloutThe governor said Aug. 4, 2026 that the developer did not engage the community, and state officials have discussed moving the plant elsewhere in the county; none has been announced. News report · Aug. 2026
- MediumPhase 2 and gas supply unpermittedThe 3.1 GW second phase has no air application, and no gas supply or pipeline approval exists for either phase. see Permits
- WatchHealth damage claimA study commissioned by opponents estimates $19 million to $35 million a year in health damages from the permitted plant (allegation; not a regulatory finding). News report · Sept. 2026
Lawsuits
3 cases on record
- Pending, filed March 6, 2026 Appeal 26-ICA-92: citizen groups challenge the air board's order upholding the permitWest Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals News report · Aug. 2026Tucker United, Highlands Conservancy and Sierra Club; no hearing date set as of Aug. 2026
- Pending Appeal 25-ICA-391: challenge to redactions in the permit applicationWest Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals News report · Aug. 2026filed by attorney Brent Eason after the air board dismissed an earlier redaction appeal
- Decided Feb. 5, 2026 Appeal 25-02-AQB: citizen groups v. air permitWest Virginia Air Quality Board State agency · Feb. 2026permit upheld with one added testing condition
Money
Money on record
- "Billions": private capital the company promises (company website; no figure given) Company · Oct. 2026
Not on record: financing: the company calls the project privately funded, no lender, amount or closing found Company · Oct. 2026; state or county financial assistance: none sought, confirmed by the company in a July 1, 2026 letter to the state, no tax abatement found News report · Aug. 2026
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- April 18, 2024Paper trail Fundamental Data LLC registered in Delaware and West Virginia
- July 19, 2024Site Fundamental Data signs a purchase and sale agreement for the plant tract with the seller, Western Pocahontas Properties News report · July 2024
- March 18, 2025Permits Air-permit application received; this is how the project first became public State agency · March 2025
- June 2025Permits Over 400 people attend a six-hour state meeting on the draft permit, with dozens speaking against it News report · Aug. 2025
- Aug. 15, 2025Permits State issues the final air permit for a 785 MW gas plant State agency · Aug. 2025
- Sept. 15, 2025Legal Tucker United, the Highlands Conservancy and the Sierra Club appeal the permit to the state air board News report · Sept. 2025
- Feb. 5, 2026Legal Air board upholds the permit and adds one testing condition State agency · Feb. 2026
- March 6, 2026Legal Citizen groups appeal the air board's decision to the Intermediate Court of Appeals News report · March 2026
- May 18, 2026Site Company presents the project in Tucker County: 800 MW gas, 1.3 GW solar and 14 data-center buildings in Phase 1, plus 3.1 GW more gas in Phase 2 State agency · May 2026
- June 18, 2026Permits State Commerce office issues a violation notice for not seeking data-center certification, then withdraws it Jul. 1 State agency · June 2026
- Aug. 13, 2026Permits State air regulator finds the developer had legal control of the site when the permit was issued News report · Aug. 2026
- 2028Power Company's target year for commercial operations, with no construction started News report · Oct. 2026
Construction activity
Satellite captures by quarter
Since Feb. 2022: 68 satellite captures. The chart starts in the first quarter of 2023; 4 earlier records are not drawn.
Satellite
’23
’24
’25
’26
Dot size: records in the quarter, largest = 5. Two-digit years mark each first quarter.
The buildings
Specs
291 acres
plant tract; the company says the full project could reach 10,000 acres across Tucker and Grant counties
14 buildings
data-center buildings the company described for Phase 1; it now calls them conceptual
Under 100 tons a year
each pollutant capped by the synthetic-minor permit (nitrogen oxides at 99.35)
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Owners and developers
- Fundamental Data LLC: developer and permit holder; Casey Chapman is the responsible official
- Prism Fundamental LLC and Emerick LLC: its managers
- Western Pocahontas Properties: seller and owner of record of the plant parcel
Decision-makers
- West Virginia DEP Division of Air Quality: air permit and site control review
- West Virginia Air Quality Board: upheld the permit
- West Virginia Department of Commerce: data-center certification
- Gov. Morrisey: criticized the rollout in Aug. 2026
Advisers and builders
- Civil & Environmental Consultants: wrote the air application
- McGavran Engineering: project engineer
- Bowles Rice LLP: counsel; House Speaker Roger Hanshaw joined the team in Mar. 2026, which a watchdog called a conflict
- Prism Renewables: solar adviser
Opponents
- Tucker United, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Sierra Club WV Chapter and Friends of Blackwater
- Appalachian Mountain Advocates: counsel to the citizen groups
Still unknown
Open questions
- Any tenant, end user, lender or equipment order.
- The outcome of the two state appeals.
- Whether the plant stays at this site or is moved within the county.
- IT capacity (never disclosed) and a gas supply source.
Where this comes from
279 records from 27 documents
Drawn from news reports, state agency records, public and commercial datasets, business registries, company statements and satellite captures, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 17State agency 5Dataset 4Company 3Satellite 0
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (35)
- Stage: paper with a permit - the Phase 1 power plant holds a final synthetic-minor air permit (under court appeal), but there is no construction, no tenant, no disclosed financing, no HB 2014 certification and no Phase 2“Construction Permit R13-3713 issued to Fundamental Data LLC, Ridgeline Facility”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Paper or real: Real: a final air permit for a 785 MW-class gas plant and an executed land PSA. Paper: everything else - 3,100 MW Phase 2 unpermitted, 14 data-center buildings conceptual per the developer itself, no tenan“This permit is issued in accordance with the West Virginia Air Pollution Control Act... The permittee identified at the above-referenced facility is authorized to construct”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- On-site heat input: 5649.6 MMBtu/hr“Combustion Turbines: Natural Gas 5,649.6 MMBtu/hr (aggregate); Diesel 4,503.4 MMBtu/hr (aggregate)”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Generating units on the permit: not disclosed (redacted); the permit regulates the turbine fleet on an aggregate heat-input and aggregate emissions basis“Combustion Turbines (Aggregate Heat Input Limitations)”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Generating units on the permit: Combustion turbine + HRSG fleet permitted on an aggregate basis (unit count and model not disclosed in the public permit documents - claimed CBI); dual-fuel natural gas / diesel; SCR and o“'b' and 'c' will include the maximum number of hours of operation that the aggregate combustion turbine/HRSG may operate if combusting natural gas or diesel exclusively during a consecutive twelve-month rolling period.”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- On-site power technology: Natural gas combustion turbines with heat recovery steam generators (combined cycle), SCR and oxidation (CO) catalysts; dual-fuel with diesel backup; three 10,000,000-gallon diesel storage tanks“Emission units: Combustion Turbines (aggregate heat input), TK1-TK3 Diesel Storage Tanks (10,000,000 gal each), diesel truck unloading 15,000,000 gal/yr”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Power plan: onsite - off-grid behind-the-meter microgrid; no grid interconnection; the permit does not define the end user of the power and any sale of power was undecided at permitting“Permit Application R13-3713 did not include a data center and was not definitive on the ultimate end user of the power that will be generated from the proposed site”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Utility: none - no serving utility; project designed to operate off-grid“At this time, a final decision on whether power will be sold has been determined by Fundamental [sic: not determined]; permit condition 4.1.19 addresses later Acid Rain / Title V applicability”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Generator maker and model: not disclosed - combustion turbine manufacturer, model and configuration redacted as confidential business information (45 CSR 31) in the permit application; DAQ upheld the CBI claims on May 12“the application contains information regarding the configuration of the proposed facility as well as confidential technical information related to the combustion turbines and control device manufacturer”State agency · May 2025 · grade A
- Announced: March 18, 2025 - the project first became public through the WVDEP air permit application; no earlier public announcement found; local officials said the project came out of the blue“Application No.: R13-3713; Received Date: March 18, 2025”State agency · March 2025 · grade A
- Nearest substation: 2.94 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest transmission line: 0.57 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Nearest gas pipeline: 1.51 kmMeasured on OpenStreetMap map data.
- Interconnection status: none - no PJM interconnection request, WV PSC filing or grid tie found; project proceeds as an off-grid microgrid“No FERC docket or WV PSC case for Fundamental Data located”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Gas supplier: none found - no gas supply agreement, pipeline lateral or PSC/FERC certificate for fuel delivery in the public record; the permit specifies fuel throughputs only“Gas-supply searches returned no project-specific pipeline or supply record”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Electric service agreement signed: none - no utility electric service agreement (off-grid project); the state route would be HB 2014 certification, which was not obtained“it appears that Fundamental Data, LLC is in violation of 145 CSR 20-10.1 [for not seeking certification; position rescinded July 1, 2026]”State agency · July 2026 · grade B
- On-site generation: 3,100 MW“Phase 2 of the project will include an additional 3.1 GW of gas-fired generation and sufficient data center buildings to utilize that amount of generation”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- On-site generation: 3,885 MW“Phase 1 of the project will include approximately 800 MW of power generated from natural gas... Phase 2 of the project will include an additional 3.1 GW of gas-fired generation”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- On-site generation: 1,300 MW“Phase 1 of the project will include approximately 800 MW of power generated from natural gas, 1.3 GW of electricity generated from solar”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- Stated campus size: 2,000 MW“14 data center buildings that will utilize the over 2.0 GW of power”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- Phases: 2 - Phase 1: 785 MW gas (permitted) + 1,300 MW solar (planned) + 14 data-center buildings (claimed); Phase 2: +3,100 MW gas (announced, unpermitted) + additional buildings“Phase 1 of the project will include approximately 800 MW of power generated from natural gas, 1.3 GW of electricity generated from solar, and 14 data center buildings”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- Buildings: 14 buildings“14 data center buildings that will utilize the over 2.0 GW of power”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- Aliases: Ridgeline; Ridgeline Project; Ridgeline Development; Ridgeline Power Plant“Ridgeline Facility power station is a power station in pre-construction in Tucker, West Virginia”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- IT capacity: none disclosed - no IT-load figure appears in any primary document; the developer disclosed no critical IT capacity figure when the state applied the 90 MW certification threshold“The figures described at the May 18 meeting were the planned generation capacity of the power complex, a categorically different measure, and the letter identifies no critical IT load figure at all”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Aggregator confusion risk: Enbridge's Ridgeline Expansion Project (East Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Tennessee) is unrelated to this campus; search results conflate the two“The Ridgeline Expansion Project includes installation of 117 miles of 30-inch pipeline... to replace coal-fired power generation at Kingston Fossil Plant”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Construction stage: none - no construction reported as of October 2026; Global Energy Monitor lists the plant as pre-construction (updated Oct 17, 2026); the DAQ site inspection of April 8, 2025 found a greenfield site w“Ridgeline Facility power station is a power station in pre-construction in Tucker, West Virginia”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Moratoria: none found - Tucker County has no zoning ordinance; HB 2014's preemption of local zoning, noise and land-use rules applies to certified projects and Ridgeline is not certified“For qualifying certified microgrid districts and high-impact data centers, the law restricts local governments from enforcing zoning, noise, viewshed, lighting, development and land-use regulations”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Fundamental Data's Casey Chapman responded to an information request from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Ranking Member, Senate EPW) and two other senators, describing Ridgeline as a long-horizon, hydrogen-compatible platform“Chapman has been equally direct about its scale... he wrote in a March 2026 response to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and other senators”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Interconnection status: none - off-grid / BTM by design; the Ridgeline Facility is expected to be completely separate from the electric grid, powered behind the meter by its on-site plant under WV's HB 2014 certified-mic“Unlike most “microgrids” which will have limited connection to the rest of the system, the Ridgeline Facility is expected to be completely separate from the electric grid.”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Grid operator: PJM footprint (West Virginia); not interconnected“adjacency to one of the most critical transmission nodes on the eastern interconnection”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Fundamental Data told the state it does not represent a data center developer, is developing only the power portion of the project, and that the contemplated data centers remain conceptual - reframing Ridgeline as a gene“Fundamental Data's assertion in its same-day response that it is only developing the power portion of the project”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- At the May 18, 2026 meeting the company reportedly said plant smokestack height would not exceed 110 feet; the next day a spokesperson issued revised language declining to commit to final specifications while design is o“Fundamental Data told participants that the smokestack height for its proposed power plant near Davis and Thomas would not exceed 110 feet”News report · June 2026 · grade C
- Sponsor representations at a May 18, 2026 public meeting (per WV Dept of Commerce letter as reported): Phase 1 ~800 MW gas + 1.3 GW solar serving ~2.0 GW of data centers across Tucker and Grant Counties; Phase 2 an addit“Phase 1 of the project will include approximately 800 MW of power generated from natural gas, 1.3 GW of electricity generated from solar”News report · May 2026 · grade C
- On-site generation: 785 MW“Power Plant Size: 785 megawatts (natural gas with diesel backup)”News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
- On-site generation: 785 MW“In 2025, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) issued an air quality permit authorizing construction of a 785-megawatt natural-gas-fired power plant”News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (16)
- electric service agreement: status none - the project is an off-grid microgrid with no utility service; the permit record does not define an end user and leaves any future power sale undecided“Permit Application R13-3713 did not include a data center and was not definitive on the ultimate end user of the power that will be generated”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Tenant status: none - no tenant, LOI, lease or offtake disclosed“No tenant, financing or construction-start report exists in the indexed press as of Oct 18, 2026”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Stated capital cost: billions in private capital investment (company website; no figure disclosed)“Delivering billions in private capital investment to strengthen the local economy and expand the regional tax base”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Financing: none found - company describes Ridgeline as privately funded; no lender, instrument, amount or closing disclosed“Ridgeline is a large-scale data and energy infrastructure project... Privately funded”Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- tenant lease / power offtake: status none found - no tenant lease, PPA or offtake agreement disclosed as of October 2026; the developer states the eventual users of the power will determine what data centers are built“No tenant, financing or construction-start report exists in the indexed press as of Oct 18, 2026”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- Tenants: none found - no tenant announced; developer states the data centers remain conceptual and what is built will be determined by the eventual users of the power“data centers contemplated for the project remain conceptual, and what is ultimately built will be determined by the eventual users of the power we generate”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Study commissioned by Tucker United (Applied Impact; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dominici Lab researchers) estimated the permitted plant could cause USD 19-35 million per year in health damages, including 1“researchers estimated $19 million to $35 million annually in health-related damages, including 1.2 to 2.3 additional premature deaths per year”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Incentives: none - Fundamental Data confirmed it is not seeking financial assistance from the state or Tucker County (July 1, 2026 Commerce correspondence); no PILOT or abatement located; HB 2014 certification was not ob“Citing a July 1, 2026 letter from the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Fundamental Data has confirmed the company is not seeking financial assistance from the state or from Tucker County”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- land purchase and sale agreement: confidentiality Commercial pricing and transactional terms redacted as confidential business information under 45 CSR 31; DAQ states no unredacted copy was submitted or is required in it“the DAQ said in its Aug. 13 determination that it had classified the redacted portions of the Purchase and Sale Agreement - commercial pricing and transactional terms - as confidential business information under W.Va. CSR 45-31”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- land purchase and sale agreement: condition / verification DAQ GIS/cartographic comparison found the 291-acre PSA tract corresponds precisely with the permit Facility Location Map and Plot Plans; site control requirement“The 291-acre tract described in the agreement, the Division found, corresponds precisely with the Facility Location Map and Plot Plans on file”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- county PILOT / tax agreement: status none found - no county PILOT or abatement located; the company confirmed it is not seeking financial assistance from the state or Tucker County“Fundamental Data has confirmed the company is not seeking financial assistance from the state or from Tucker County”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Owner companies: Fundamental Data LLC (permittee); plant parcel owned of record by Western Pocahontas Properties Limited Partnership, controlled by Fundamental Data under a purchase and sale agreement dated July 19, 2024“a review of Tucker County records indicated the proposed parcel is owned by Western Pocahontas Properties LTD”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Acres: 291 acres“The DAQ reached that conclusion through a GIS and cartographical comparison of property boundaries and coordinates in the redacted July 19, 2024 Purchase and Sale Agreement”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- land purchase and sale agreement: scope Control of the proposed site: gas-fired power plant in Tucker County and data center facilities in Tucker and Grant counties; plant tract 291 acres“an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement signed by both the Seller and Purchaser on July 19, 2024, under which Fundamental Data has control of the proposed site”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- HB 2014 certification correspondence: termination / withdrawal of state position Commerce's June 18, 2026 violation notice (certification due June 17, 2026 under 145 CSR 20-10.1) was withdrawn by letter dated July 1, 202“A July 1 letter signed by Nicholas Preservati... accepted Fundamental Data's assertion that the project was still in the conceptual phase”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Land control date: July 19, 2024“an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement signed by both the Seller and Purchaser on July 19, 2024”News report · July 2024 · grade C
Permits and government (34)
- Conditions of approval: Synthetic-minor emission caps keep every pollutant under 100 tpy (NOx capped at 99.35 tpy); hourly and annual formaldehyde limits plus an initial formaldehyde performance test added after public c“4.3.6. The permittee shall conduct, or have conducted, additional performance testing for each pollutant identified under 4.3.2. through 4.3.5”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Air Quality Board Final Order: permit upheld; single change required - additional performance testing (added as permit condition 4.3.6)“Description of Change: Construction and operation of a turbine power facility (revised according to Final Order AQB Appeal No. 25-02-AQB - only change is the addition of 4.3.6)”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Revised construction permit: permit reissued incorporating Final Order 25-02-AQB (document date line reads February 11, 2025 - treated as a typographical error for 2026, as it implements the February 5, 2026 order)“Revised*/Issued: February 11, 2025 (*Final Order 25-02-AQB)”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Site coordinates: 39.15364, -79.46641 (per WV DEP final determination“Latitude/Longitude: 39.15364 / -79.46641”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- DAQ issued construction permit R13-3713 as a synthetic minor source for Phase 1 : construction permit issued (final determination)“as enforced under final Permit Number R13-3713, will meet all applicable state and federal air quality rules and regulations”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Draft permit public notice: public notice and open comment period opened (Class I legal ad, The Parsons Advocate)“On June 18, 2025, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Division of Air Quality provided notice of an open comment period for Permit Number R13-3713”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Public comment period: comment period closed July 18, 2025; 1,605 written and 18 oral comments received, most opposed; review timeline extended 30 days on July 21, 2025“the DAQ received 1,605 written comments and 18 oral comments at the July 17, 2025 public meeting from various individuals and organizations”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- WVDEP Division of Air Quality public meeting (virtual): Virtual meeting to accept oral comments on draft Permit R13-3713; 18 oral comments received“a virtual meeting to accept comments only was held on July 17, 2025”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Opposition: 1,605 written comments and 18 oral comments received in the DAQ permit docket (Mar 26 - Jul 18, 2025); most comments were against issuance of the permit“the DAQ received 1,605 written comments and 18 oral comments at the July 17, 2025 public meeting... Most public comments were against the issuance of the permit”State agency · July 2025 · grade A
- DAQ published the draft permit and Engineering Evaluation/Fact Sheet and opened : draft permit issued for public comment“provided notice of an open comment period for Permit Number R13-3713 for the construction and operation of a combustion turbine facility”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- NSR construction permit application (45 CSR 13): application received; complete April 9, 2025 (held April 25 - May 7, 2025 for additional information)“Application No.: R13-3713; Plant ID No.: 093-00034; Application Type: Construction; Received Date: March 18, 2025”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Confidential business information determination: OGC challenged CBI claims April 28, 2025; applicant responded May 7, 2025; DAQ upheld turbine/configuration redactions as trade secrets May 12, 2025“a response letter was sent from WVDEP to Fundamental on May 12, 2025... the information that was claimed CBI by Fundamental satisfied the necessary requirements to be deemed CBI”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Announced: March 18, 2025“The permit application was received on March 18, 2025”State agency · March 2025 · grade A
- Fundamental Data LLC application for the Ridgeline Facility, a combustion turbin: construction permit application received“the permit application was received on March 18, 2025”State agency · March 2025 · grade A
- Phase 2 air permit: no application found for the announced additional 3,100 MW of gas generation; only R13-3713 exists for facility 093-00034“Only R13-3713 was found for Fundamental Data / facility 093-00034 in the WVDEP NSR record”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
- High Impact Data Center certification (HB 2014): violation notice issued: Commerce found the project meets the High Impact Data Center definition, a certification request was due June 17, 2026, and none was received“Fundamental Data, LLC was supposed to have submitted its request for certification within 30 days of said meeting, or by June 17, 2026. No such application has been received”State agency · June 2026 · grade B
- Public meeting in Tucker County organized by the WV Office of Energy: Fundamental Data presented Ridgeline in detail and answered public questions; attendees included the mayors of Thomas and Davis, Tucker County Commiss“On May 18, 2026, yourself and several representatives from Fundamental Data, LLC attended an in-person meeting in Tucker County, WV that was organized by the West Virginia Office of Energy”State agency · May 2026 · grade B
- Fundamental Data engineer Ted McGavran told the Belmont, NC city council: We were the guys who basically wrote [HB 2014]... We can do pretty much whatever we want to do up there. Fundamental Data disavowed the remarks on“We were the guys who basically wrote [HB 2014] and got it through the [West Virginia] Legislature in 2024 and early 2025, McGavran said”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- NSR construction permit (synthetic minor): final permit issued by DAQ Director Laura M. Crowder (permit adds formaldehyde limits and testing after comment)“West Virginia DAQ Director Laura M. Crowder on Aug. 15, 2025, issued a construction permit for a combustion turbine power facility on a 291-acre tract near Thomas, West Virginia”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Site control determination: DAQ determined site control was satisfied at the time of permit issuance (redacted PSA received Aug 11, 2026; 291-acre tract corresponds precisely with permit plot plans; PSA pricing terms kep“Based on this technical and legal correlation, the DAQ has determined that the information provided is sufficient to verify Fundamental Data LLC's legal site control at the time of permit issuance”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Judicial appeal (CBI redactions): appeal by attorney Brent Eason challenging the redactions/confidential information in the permit application (AQB had dismissed the earlier CBI appeal); pending“Appeal 25-ICA-391 was filed by local attorney Brent Eason and questions the large amount of redacted and confidential information in the permit application”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- WV Data Economy Office committed to seat a citizen advisory council on data center policy by August 15, 2026 - a state-level governance response driven substantially by the Ridgeline controversy“committed to establishing a citizen advisory council on data center policy within 60 days (by Aug. 15)”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Panel discussion on data centers in West Virginia (Davis fire hall; Mountain State Spotlight / Country Roads News): WV Data Economy Office director Chris Morris committed to establishing a citizen advisory council on dat“During the panel session in Davis on June 15, Chris Morris, director of the West Virginia Data Economy Office, committed to establishing a citizen advisory council on data center policy within 60 days”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Public meeting remarks by Gov. Patrick Morrisey: Governor criticized the Ridgeline rollout and lack of community engagement“During a public meeting on Aug. 4, Governor Morrisey brought up Tucker County and Fundamental Data”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Site control inquiry: DAQ Director Crowder's July 31, 2026 letter required documentation of legal site control by August 7, 2026, after citizen groups questioned the July 19, 2024 PSA on July 16, 2026“Crowder asked for Fundamental Data to provide a copy of the executed purchase and sale agreement referenced in the application along with any other documentation demonstrating legal control of the site”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- High Impact Data Center certification (HB 2014): violation position rescinded: Deputy Secretary Preservati's July 1, 2026 letter accepted that the project remains in a conceptual phase and certification is not yet trigge“Preservati's July 1 letter backed down from the department's June 18 issuance of a violation notice to the company”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Tucker County Commission meeting (Wednesday): Community members addressed the commission about the proposed data center complex; Fundamental Data distanced itself from engineer Ted McGavran's July 6, 2026 statement in Be“Fundamental Data distanced itself Wednesday from one of its engineers who said the company basically wrote the bill that deregulated the data center industry in West Virginia”News report · July 2026 · grade C
- Judicial appeal (permit merits): notice of appeal filed March 6, 2026 by the citizen groups (Appalachian Mountain Advocates); pending, no hearing date set as of August 2026; two ICA judges recused“On March 6, Tucker United, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and Sierra Club filed a Notice of Appeal with the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals, challenging a February 5, 2026 decision by the state Air Quality Board”News report · March 2026 · grade C
- Meeting in Davis with WV Office of Energy Director Nicholas Preservati (approx. date - a Wednesday meeting following Davis Mayor Al Tomson's Dec 8, 2025 letter to the Secretary of Commerce): State official met local lead“Preservati agreed to engage in discussions with Fundamental Data, the company seeking to build the proposed power plant, as well as Western Pocahontas Properties, which owns the site”News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
- WV Air Quality Board evidentiary hearing (Charleston): Merits hearing on Appeal 25-02-AQB (Dec 3-4, 2025, following a November 2025 hearing); redacted emissions information discussed under seal; citizen expert Dr. Ron Sa“discussion of the redacted information was kept under seal during the proceedings, meaning the public still was not able to hear any arguments or testimony regarding its contents”News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
- Administrative appeal of permit: appeal filed by Tucker United, WV Highlands Conservancy and Sierra Club (17 objections; synthetic-minor classification and CBI redactions)“three citizen groups appealed the permit approval on Friday, September 15, 2025. Attorneys for Appalachian Mountain Advocates filed the legal appeal to the West Virginia Air Quality Board”News report · Sept. 2025 · grade C
- WVDEP Division of Air Quality public meeting (Canaan Valley Resort State Park, in person): Informational meeting on draft Permit R13-3713; over 400 people attended and the meeting ran over six hours; dozens of citizens s“The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection held an in-person public meeting at Canaan Valley State Park on June 30. Over 400 people attended”News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
- Site acres permitted tract: 291 acres“The 291-acre tract described in the agreement, the Division found, "corresponds precisely" with the Facility Location Map and Plot Plans on file”News report · Aug. 2025 · grade C
- Tucker County town hall (April 2025): Public learned of the project through the air permit notice; Tucker County Development Authority Executive Director Steve Leyh addressed the project“At an April 2025 town hall, Tucker County Development Authority Executive Director Steve Leyh said the project came out of the blue”News report · April 2025 · grade C
Legal (5)
- Lawsuits: WV Air Quality Board Appeal No. 25-02-AQB (filed Sep 15, 2025; Final Order Feb 5, 2026 upheld the permit with one added testing condition)“Permit R13-3713 (Revised per Final Order 25-02-AQB)... Description of Change: Construction and operation of a turbine power facility (revised according to Final Order AQB Appeal No. 25-02-AQB)”State agency · Feb. 2026 · grade A
- Developer: Fundamental Data LLC (Purcellville, VA)“Mailing Address: 125 Hirst Rd. Suite 1A, Purcellville, VA 20132”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Lawsuits: WV Intermediate Court of Appeals No. 26-ICA-92 (notice of appeal filed Mar 6, 2026, challenging the AQB order) and No. 25-ICA-391 (redactions/CBI, attorney Brent Eason); both pending, no hearing dates set as of“There are two appeals of the Ridgeline air permit pending before the Intermediate Court of Appeals, with no scheduled hearing dates. Appeal 25-ICA-391 was filed by local attorney Brent Eason... Appeal 26-ICA-92 was filed by Appalachian Mountain Advocates”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Gov. Morrisey publicly criticized the project's community engagement: Tucker County was the wrong way; the developer did not engage the community“Tucker County was the wrong way. I'm not afraid to tell you that. These guys got out in front, and they didn't do it the right way”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Opposition: Tucker United (local coalition), West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Sierra Club WV Chapter, Friends of Blackwater; appellants in AQB Appeal 25-02-AQB and WV ICA Nos. 26-ICA-92 and 25-ICA-391“On March 6, Tucker United, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and Sierra Club filed a Notice of Appeal with the West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals”News report · March 2026 · grade C
Site and other (11)
- County code: 54093“Facility ID No. 093-00034; Location of Facility: Thomas, Tucker County”State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
- Wvdep facility ID: 093-00034“Application No.: R13-3713 Facility ID No. 093-00034 Name of Applicant: Fundamental Data LLC Name of Facility: Ridgeline Facility”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Name: Ridgeline Facility“Issued to: Fundamental Data LLC, Ridgeline Facility, 093-00034”State agency · Aug. 2025 · grade A
- Water use stated: well-water storage tanks at the plant site (EE/FS); no campus water-use volume disclosed“The proposed facility will also have storage tanks for well water”State agency · June 2025 · grade A
- Address: Off US-48 near Thomas, Tucker County, WV; approx. 1.5 miles from US-48 via a private access road; on a reclaimed coal mine, approx. 0.75 miles north of the Tucker County Landfill“This is a greenfield site... The proposed site is in a remote location approximately 1.5 miles from US-48 that is only accessible by use of a private gate”State agency · April 2025 · grade A
- Current target date: 2028“commercial operations are targeted for 2028”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Operator: Fundamental Data LLC“Operator: Fundamental Data; Owner: Fundamental Data LLC [100%]”Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- Acres: up to 10000 acres“Fundamental Data representatives have said the project, if fully developed, could encompass up to 10,000 contiguous acres across Tucker and Grant counties”News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
- Original target date: 2028“Fundamental Data has said commercial operations are targeted for 2028”News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
- Bowles Rice LLP, including House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (lead sponsor of HB 2014), signed on as counsel to Fundamental Data; an ethics watchdog called it an obvious conflict of interest“The Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates, attorney Roger Hanshaw, has signed on to represent the developer of a controversial data center project in Tucker County”News report · March 2026 · grade C
- State and local officials discussed relocating the plant to a different site within Tucker County (keeping county tax revenue and jobs); no relocation had been announced as of October 2026“Tomson expressed optimism that those discussions will ultimately result in a different location for the facility”News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Imagery and records: Satellite imagery: Maxar via Esri World Imagery Wayback.