By Daniel Woods
MetroNews
April 8, 2026 – 10:16 am
Photo WMOV Radio
Nscale, the AI infrastructure company taking over and expanding the Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County, is investing in the area after taking part in a community meeting Tuesday and presenting donations to local services ahead of construction on the data center beginning.
Del. Jim Butler, R-Mason, helped put the meeting together and believes that open dialogue can help concerned citizens understand what Nscale is bringing to the area.
“I think it’s important to get the accurate information out about the benefits of this project, as well as maybe address some of the misconceptions with the water usage and the noise and all that kind of thing. I think there were some great presentations that made it clear that we are addressing all of those issues, and we’ve addressed a lot of it through legislation already,” he told WMOV Radio at the meeting.
Nscale delivered donations of $50,000 to the Mason County Development Authority, $150,000 to the Mason County Ambulance Service, and $250,000 to the Mason County Sheriff’s Department at the meeting. Mason County Homeland Security & Emergency Management Director Jeremy Bryant says the money is enough to purchase a needed new ambulance for the county as the population grows alongside the development.
“The more people that come into this county, the more trucks we have to have available. We have to be able to service all the people that come into this county, and even if it’s just at the workplace, when you bring that kind of numbers in, you’re responsible for them each and every day,” he said.
Multiple officials indicated that this is not the end of Nscale’s investment in local services. Mason County Sheriff Corey Miller gave the company a list of his department’s needs and expects more help in the future.
“I had a list of needs and gave it to them. They’ve made the first of probably what’s going to be several donations. We’re excited. It’s rough to keep equipment and vehicles on the road and equipment updated and stuff, and this donation’s going to go a long way,” he said.
The meeting also provided the public with an opportunity to interact with Nscale representatives and local leaders to address their concerns with the project. Butler welcomed the questions and understands why people want them answered.
“I think it’s logical to have concerns but also hope that people will actually listen to the truth—the facts about this plan—rather than just some knee-jerk reaction to some organizations or people who maybe are just negative about any kind of development,” he said.
Chris Morris, director of the state’s Data Economy Office, was on hand to address some of those concerns. He said the companies behind data centers are already working on some of their problems.
“Data centers have made tremendous strides in efficiency with their water usage and with their electric usage, and they’re going to continue to get more and more efficient, so that’s one of the things that we want to consider and one of the things that we want to review, and they’re naturally incentivized to be efficient,” he said.
Among the representatives in attendance was Dan Shapiro, Nscale’s chief power and energy officer. He said state and local officials have welcomed his company with open arms and they want to do right by West Virginians.
“Don’t overpromise and underdeliver. Come in and do what you say you’re going to do. From Delegate Pinson to Senator Tarr to Governor Morrisey, previous Governor Justice, and Senator Manchin, basically everyone was rooting for West Virginia, and they said, ‘Please come and do this,’” he said.
Expansion of the Monarch Compute Campus is expected to begin in the near future.