AGP Executive Report

Power Infrastructure: Valley North’s proposed 260-mile, 765-kilovolt transmission line could cross 20 West Virginia counties and affect nearly 7,000 acres. The project is renewing debate over land use and the need for new power capacity. Energy Development: State officials offered four West Virginia sites for a proposed federal nuclear campus that could store spent fuel, but residents and local leaders say they were not consulted. Manufacturing: Iron Wing Parts has opened its first retail location in Ashland, extending Lippert Enterprises’ machinery and vehicle-parts business beyond online sales. Workforce: New River CTC will offer annual electrical retraining for mine electricians Nov. 10 in Summersville. Water Infrastructure: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced more than $58 million for water and wastewater projects in five counties, including $4 million for Buckhannon’s water-treatment facility. Data Centers: Wheeling residents are pressing for a moratorium on data-center development, citing concerns about the planned Warwood campus and its local impacts.

Power Infrastructure: State hearings begin Monday on NextEra’s proposed 500-kilovolt Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link, including nearly 59 miles in West Virginia. Separately, data-center demand is driving new transmission proposals that have stirred concerns among landowners. Energy Business: Antero Midstream reports third-quarter results Wednesday after tripling its share buyback to $27 million; investors will watch for record volumes to lift per-share earnings. Water Investment: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced more than $58 million for water and wastewater projects in five counties. Buckhannon secured $4 million toward a new treatment facility. Workforce: WVU Tech earned high regional and state rankings, including recognition for engineering programs and affordability. Fuel Relief: West Virginia’s diesel emergency declaration allows red-dyed off-road fuel use to ease costs for families and businesses.

Nuclear Energy: West Virginia has offered four sites, including an old quarry near Harpers Ferry, for a proposed federal nuclear campus that would require storing spent fuel. Local officials say they were not consulted before the state submitted its pitch. Water Infrastructure: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced more than $58 million for water and sewer projects in five counties; Buckhannon will receive $4 million toward a $47.3 million treatment plant expected to serve about 23,000 people. Industrial Services: Weirton is preparing to open a domestic oily-waste disposal operation, adding a new service for the region’s industrial sector. Development and Farmland: West Virginia’s agriculture commissioner warns that data center growth could threaten valuable farmland, sharpening debate over how to balance new investment with land protection. Workforce: John Marshall High School’s pre-apprenticeship program is described as the first of its kind in the state, offering a local path into skilled trades.

Fuel Costs: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s emergency order allows commercial users to buy red-dyed diesel, normally reserved for off-road use. The state estimates savings of about 20.5 cents a gallon as West Virginia diesel prices top $6. Water Infrastructure: West Virginia has completed funding packages for more than $58 million in water and wastewater projects across five counties. Buckhannon also secured $4 million toward a $47.3 million treatment plant expected to serve about 23,000 rural residents. Jobs & Investment: More than $6.4 million in Appalachian Regional Commission grants will support projects in jobs, health care, housing and tourism. A $1.99 million coal technology initiative aims to create 48 jobs and retain 48 more across nine southern counties. Manufacturing & Services: A domestic company is expanding into Weirton, adding an oily-waste disposal option as Steel Valley Wastewater prepares to open a local operation. Health Care Construction: Sistersville’s new 30,000-square-foot hospital has reached its final-beam milestone. The 16-bed facility is on track to open by the end of 2027. Land Use: West Virginia’s agriculture commissioner is urging a balance between data-center development and farmland protection.

Fuel Costs: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s 60-day emergency order allows temporary highway use of red-dyed diesel, offering businesses and drivers an estimated 20.5 cents per gallon in relief as West Virginia diesel averages $6.34. Infrastructure Investment: Buckhannon will receive $4 million toward a $47.3 million water-treatment plant serving about 23,000 residents. The state has also completed more than $58 million in water and wastewater funding packages. Jobs and Industry: More than $6.4 million in Appalachian Regional Commission grants will support four West Virginia projects, including a coal and energy technology initiative expected to create 48 jobs and retain 48 more. Waste Services: Steel Valley Wastewater is preparing to open a Weirton operation, adding a local option for oily-waste disposal. Energy Development: West Virginia’s agriculture commissioner warned that data-center growth could threaten valuable farmland, as communities weigh new industrial development against land-use and infrastructure pressures. Climate and Business: West Virginia Rivers Coalition and 350.org sued Attorney General J.B. McCuskey over subpoenas seeking years of records on their climate advocacy and funding; the state manufacturers association defended the investigation.

Fuel Costs: Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a 60-day emergency allowing red-dyed diesel for highway and commercial use, a temporary measure expected to save users 20.5 cents per gallon as state diesel averaged $6.34. Water Infrastructure: More than $58 million is headed to water and sewer projects statewide. Buckhannon’s $47.3 million treatment plant is backed by a new $4 million grant, with other funds supporting projects in several counties. Jobs and Development: West Virginia will receive more than $6.4 million in Appalachian Regional Commission funding for four projects. One aims to help coal and energy businesses develop technology and expand, creating 48 jobs and retaining 48 more. Industrial Services: Steel Valley Wastewater is preparing to open a Weirton facility to handle oily waste from manufacturers, machine shops and other businesses before wastewater reaches municipal systems. Energy Industry Dispute: Environmental groups sued Attorney General J.B. McCuskey to block subpoenas seeking years of records about their climate advocacy, saying the investigation threatens protected speech; manufacturers’ representatives defended the probe.

Water Infrastructure: Gov. Patrick Morrisey completed funding packages totaling more than $58 million for water and wastewater upgrades, including a new Buckhannon treatment plant and projects serving several southern counties. Industrial Services: Steel Valley Wastewater plans to begin operations at its Weirton recycling facility in November, offering local industries another wastewater-treatment option and starting with about 30 employees. Fuel Costs: A state emergency order temporarily allows dyed off-road diesel on highways, with officials estimating savings of about 20 cents per gallon for industries including trucking, coal, construction and agriculture. Workforce Development: John Marshall High School launched West Virginia’s first building-trades pre-apprenticeship program, combining union curriculum, safety training and hands-on skills to prepare students for construction careers. Water Partnerships: The state’s Water Development Authority agreed to pay Marshall and WVU research units up to nearly $600,000 annually to help small water systems pursue grants.

Water Infrastructure: Gov. Patrick Morrisey completed funding packages totaling more than $58 million for water and wastewater upgrades, including $4 million for a Buckhannon treatment plant and grants for projects in Mingo, Wyoming, Cabell and Wayne counties. Fuel Costs: With diesel topping $6 a gallon in West Virginia, an emergency order temporarily allows dyed off-road diesel use to ease costs for businesses and families. Data Center Development: State officials reviewed proposed data center regulations as a Mason County air permit faced public scrutiny, highlighting the push to attract investment while addressing local impacts. Energy and Mining: West Virginia’s Public Service Commission revised power-plant rules, making a coal-plant capacity target a goal rather than a mandate; remediation is also set to begin at the long-burning White Hall coal seam fire. Agriculture: State grants are targeting new markets for pawpaws and forest products, while officials urge developers to avoid productive farmland.

Industrial Oversight: West Virginia gave Clean-Seas another year to meet job and investment targets tied to a $1.75 million forgivable loan, despite missed benchmarks and concerns over its planned plastics-conversion facility near Belle, less than 500 feet from Riverside High School. Fuel Costs: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s 60-day order allows red-dyed diesel on highways, potentially saving businesses 20.5 cents per gallon as diesel tops $6. But limited availability may curb the benefit, and the order does not help gasoline drivers. Consumer Relief: A multistate settlement will cancel $4.4 million in lease payments owed by West Virginians who used Snap Finance’s lease-to-own agreements, allowing them to keep their purchases. Power and Data Centers: Regulators are reviewing proposed rules on power-plant capacity as debate grows over data-center projects, including a proposed air-pollution permit in Mason County. Valley Link also plans a new round of meetings on its proposed transmission line from the John Amos plant toward Virginia and Maryland; the route could affect landowners, while developers cite grid reliability and tax revenue. Mine Safety: Remediation is set to begin at the White Hall coal-seam fire, which has burned for decades.

Fuel Relief: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s 60-day order lets commercial vehicles use red-dyed diesel, potentially saving 20.5 cents per gallon. The measure excludes gasoline, and critics say limited access to the fuel may blunt its impact. Data Center Oversight: A Mason County data-center air permit is under public review as West Virginia weighs proposed rules for the fast-growing industry. Power Supply: The Public Service Commission has proposed new power-plant capacity rules, while Appalachian Power reached a deal to freeze residential rates for a year. Business Growth: Wood County received six state site-readiness grants for engineering and site studies to help attract investment. Agriculture: Eight West Virginia projects received $360,000 in USDA grants, including efforts to develop markets for pawpaws and forest crops.

Diesel Relief: West Virginia’s 60-day emergency order allows highway use of dyed diesel, aiming to save businesses and drivers 20.5 cents a gallon as prices top $6. Data Center Oversight: Mason County’s proposed Monarch campus faces air-permit review for more than 800 generators and other engines; the plans also put a rare chestnut grove at risk. Wheeling leaders are drafting data-center rules for public comment. Aerospace Investment: A $16 million engine-repair project at North Central West Virginia Airport is nearing completion of its first phase, a 30,000-square-foot hangar expected to support regional economic growth. Farm Innovation: Eight state projects won federal specialty-crop grants for research and market development, including work to turn pawpaws into storable food products and expand forest farming. Mine Safety: Remediation is set to begin at the decades-old coal-seam fire near White Hall, where shifting ground has damaged a home and raised concerns for nearby residents and businesses.

Diesel Relief: Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a 60-day emergency across West Virginia, allowing highway use of red-dyed diesel and suspending related penalties. The move could save drivers and businesses about 20.5 cents per gallon, easing costs for trucking, coal, natural gas, agriculture and forestry. Power and Grid: State regulators say power plants should aim for 69% capacity, but need not meet that target if doing so would raise electricity costs. Meanwhile, Valley Link is scheduling public meetings on potential routes for its proposed transmission project, as grid demand and landowner concerns grow. Agriculture: The West Virginia Farmers Market Association received $25,000 to improve management and upkeep of shared equipment, including poultry-processing trailers, used by producers statewide. Tourism Investment: Canaan Valley State Park will receive $1 million for snowmaking upgrades, aimed at expanding ski operations and supporting the visitor economy.

AI Infrastructure: Anthropic is negotiating a second $45 billion computing deal at Nscale’s Monarch campus in West Virginia, adding a proposed 460-megawatt data center. No agreement is final, and power-grid delays remain a concern. Energy: The state Public Service Commission proposed rules requiring coal plants to target 69% capacity, provided that meeting the threshold does not raise customer rates. The rules also call for more reporting on coal supplies and plant operations. Transmission: The proposed Valley Link power line, intended to serve growing data-center demand, is raising concerns for families whose farms and land could be affected. Agriculture: Eight West Virginia projects will share $360,000 in USDA specialty-crop grants. Infrastructure: Follansbee council endorsed a $177.5 million South Street option for a replacement Ohio River bridge, joining other supporters of the route.

AI Investment: Anthropic is reportedly negotiating a $45 billion computing deal with Nscale for a second facility at its West Virginia campus, potentially adding 460 megawatts of capacity. No agreement has been announced. Research: WVU aerospace engineering professor Piyush Mehta will lead a $2.7 million project to improve solar-storm forecasts and help satellite operators reduce collision risks. Mine Remediation: Work is set to begin at White Hall, where a long-burning underground coal seam fire is linked to mine subsidence and damage to a home. Agriculture: Eight West Virginia projects will share more than $360,000 in USDA grants for specialty-crop research, education and market development, including work to create value-added pawpaw products. Energy Policy: A bipartisan Senate permitting bill could speed approval of energy projects, though critics warn against weakening environmental reviews. Local Industry: West Virginia needs more contractors to carry out $88 million in federal energy-rebate programs.

Infrastructure: Contractors have mobilized on Granville’s Emmett Drive to assess repairs for a road closed by rock slides for over a year; a permanent fix could take about two years. Energy Industry: West Virginia’s PSC revised rules for electric-generating capacity, with industrial power users emphasizing that plants should not run when doing so raises costs for customers. Hearings on the proposed MARL transmission line begin Oct. 26, amid questions about future electricity demand and impacts on property owners. Workforce: The state’s $88 million home energy rebate programs are driving demand for contractors, and officials are recruiting through high schools and trade schools. Supply Chains: Nitro native Ed Ryan’s Reshore WV initiative aims to connect college students with trade and logistics skills and encourage more homegrown production. Industry Loss: Ike Morris, founder of Waco Oil & Gas and a prominent Mountain State businessman and philanthropist, has died.

Energy Rebates: West Virginia’s $88 million federal home-energy rebate programs are driving demand for contractors. State officials are recruiting students and workers, with OSHA safety certifications a useful entry point. Power Costs: The Public Service Commission revised rules for electric generating capacity, including protections against making customers pay for power that costs more than market alternatives. Industrial users say affordability remains critical. Transmission Lines: Valley Link plans another round of public meetings in November on its proposed route from the John Amos power plant toward northern Virginia and Maryland. Meanwhile, hearings on NextEra’s separate MARL line are set to begin Oct. 26, as residents question the need and impact of both projects. Data Center Impacts: Mason County permit filings detail potential environmental effects from a proposed data center, while plans for another facility could threaten a rare chestnut grove—highlighting the local trade-offs as investment and power demand grow.