InvestSWVA unveils list of potential data center sites
One year after its start, economic development initiative InvestSWVA and state economic agency GO Virginia have completed their first joint project — a roster of potential data center sites using underground mines for cooling and power savings. Will Payne, project leader for the assessment, said Monday that Project Oasis — the evaluation and identification of those sites — gives Southwest Virginia governments and economic development organizations a basis for talking to prospective data center operations and competing with two areas of Virginia for those operations.
A large data center could have $50M annual impact on SWVA, study finds
Southwest Virginia is well-positioned for data centers and a large data center could result in more than 2,000 jobs and $50 million in annual economic activity, according to the Project Oasis study conducted by OnPoint Development Strategies and released Monday by InvestSWVA.
Data center study outlines opportunities to use Southwest Virginia’s assets for more sustainable operations
Project Oasis defines Southwest Virginia as a location of choice in the Commonwealth for data centers based on power and broadband infrastructure along with the use of geothermal cooling technology with the billions of gallons of water collected in underground mines as a significant energy and cost-savings tool.
Malted barley harvested in Southwest Virginia
The harvest of a new line of malt barley here in June is bringing hope for a new cash crop to Southwest Virginia where the double whammy of declining tobacco production and the mining industry has hurt the area.