Real estate firm Penzance is developing a large data center campus in West Virginia.

Governor of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey last week announced Penzance Management would be investing $4 billion in a data center campus in the state.

Located on 548 acres in the Falling Waters District of Berkeley County, Penzance’s Bedington Campus will total approximately 1.9 million square feet (176,515 sqm) and deliver 600MW of critical IT capacity at full build-out. Timelines for development weren’t shared.

"This $4 billion investment is a historic win that proves West Virginia can compete at the highest level for the global tech economy,” said Governor Morrisey. “By earning the state’s first High Impact Intelligence Center designation, Penzance is helping us transform the Mountain State into a powerhouse for artificial intelligence and cloud computing. This project brings a massive new revenue stream to our communities - all driven by private capital and our commitment to a business-friendly, reliable energy strategy."

"West Virginia has created a truly business-friendly environment for companies investing in digital infrastructure," added Penzance managing partner and founder, Victor Tolkan. “We look forward to a successful partnership with Berkeley County, the West Virginia Department of Commerce, and the State of West Virginia."

Governor Morrisey’s announcement noted that the project would be made possible by the Power Generation and Consumption Act and House Bill 2002, legislation designed to streamline permitting, expand microgrid use, and allow companies to utilize coal, natural gas, and other reliable energy resources.

Tolkan said that Governor Morrisey had “championed” policies that position West Virginia as a “leader” in the data economy. He said: “Initiatives like HB 2014 and the High Impact Intelligence Center program demonstrate a clear commitment to attracting and supporting world-class intelligence center development.”

The campus has been officially designated a “High Impact Intelligence Center,” though it's unclear what the designation means in practice.

Berkeley County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the eastern panhandle region of West Virginia, close to the Mountain State’s border with both Virginia and Maryland. Martinsburg is the largest city in the county.

Berkeley County Commission president Eddie Gochenour added: “Following productive preliminary discussions with project leadership, Berkeley County officials, and Governor Morrisey’s team, I am very optimistic about this project. We have already identified a significant opportunity to potentially utilize reclaimed water, which will lower costs for the company, save taxpayer money for the county, and preserve our vital natural resources.”

Founded in 1996, Penzance is focused on residential, industrial, office, and data center developments. It owns a number of office, industrial, and flex sites in the wider DC area. It is developing a data center project in Fairfax County, Virginia, that is set to be leased to Amazon.

West Virginia has a small data center market, but several large-scale projects are potentially coming to the state.