West Virginia has spent too many years telling itself that economic development is something to be feared instead of something to be understood. That instinct can be costly. When a community automatically rejects a proposed project simply because it has a label like “data center,” it risks turning away jobs, investment, and long-term growth before the facts are even known.
That is especially true when people do not first ask a basic question: What exactly is being proposed?
A project described loosely as a “data center” may not be a giant server farm at all. It could be a supplier, a parts manufacturer, an equipment assembly operation, or another business that supports the broader data center ecosystem. In places like Warwood, West Virginia, that distinction matters. Communities should evaluate the actual proposal, not just react to a buzzword.
Too often, the conversation starts and ends with fear. Residents hear “data center” and immediately think of massive power demand, noise, water use, and little local benefit. Those concerns are valid and deserve scrutiny. But suspicion should not replace analysis. Before a community decides what it actually opposes, it should first decide what it is being asked to consider. If we don’t understand the project, we cannot fairly judge its impact.
Here is where responsibility must go both ways. It is not enough for critics to withhold judgment. Project promoters and the State also have a duty to define the project correctly at the time of announcement. When a company or a state official use vague or imprecise language, it creates confusion, mistrust, and unnecessary controversy from the start. If a project is a manufacturing facility, a supply chain operation, or a technology support site, it should be described that way from the beginning. Mislabeling invites suspicion, and suspicion is hard to reverse once it takes root.
The same is true for elected officials and economic development agencies. If they want public support, they must earn it by being clear, accurate, and transparent. A project that is presented honestly and explained clearly will always have a better chance of acceptance than one that is poorly defined or oversimplified. Leaders who announce a project without understanding its details do not just mislead the public; they damage the credibility of future development efforts.
That is why common sense must come first. A traditional manufacturer moving to the Centre Foundry property would likely be welcomed as a win for the neighborhood and the region. People would talk about new jobs, reuse of an industrial site, stronger tax base, and renewed economic purpose for a property with a manufacturing identity. That same spirit of optimism should not disappear simply because the new employer may be part of the digital economy.
The reality is that not all industrial development is the same, but not all “data center” projects are the same either. Some proposals may be heavy infrastructure users. Others may be far more limited, cleaner, and more compatible with existing land use than critics assume. A serious community should ask about electricity demand, water usage, traffic, noise, environmental impact, hiring plans, and long-term tax value. But it should ask those questions with an open mind, not with a predetermined “no.”
West Virginia cannot afford to let emotional reactions override economic opportunity. We need to be careful, yes. We need to insist on transparency, local input, and enforceable commitments, but we also need to recognize that modern manufacturing and technology supply chains are changing. If we reject every project that does not fit an old mental image of a factory, we will miss out on the next generation of jobs.
There is also a fairness issue. If a community celebrates one type of industrial user but attacks another without first understanding the difference, it sends a confusing message to employers. Businesses notice whether a state is open for development or hostile to it. The goal should not be to approve everything. The goal should be to evaluate everything honestly.
West Virginia should always protect its people, its land, and its resources. But protection and progress are not opposites. When a project comes forward, we should ask whether it is truly a data center, a supplier, or a manufacturer; whether it reuses an existing industrial site; whether it brings meaningful employment; and whether it strengthens the local economy. If the answer is yes, then the community should at least have the courage to consider it on its merits.
The worst mistake a town can make is rejecting a good opportunity because it was described in the wrong words. The second worst mistake is refusing to look closely enough to know the difference. And the third is allowing leaders or promoters to define a project so poorly that the community never gets the chance to judge it fairly in the first place.
Joe Eddy is the retired President/CEO of Eagle Manufacturing Company in Wellsburg and is currently the President/CEO of Enhanced Technologies in Wheeling. He has over 45 years of experience in energy, manufacturing, and economic development in West Virginia.
