Supporters of Power Plant and Data Center Complex Tout Jobs, Tax Revenue
Plus, a price check at Shop 'N Save, ARTober returns to Timberline, and a look at Bernie Sanders in West Virginia
This publication on Sept. 8 invited supporters of a proposed power plant and data center complex to share their views publicly. More than 4,000 people viewed that invitation. Three people who support the facility agreed to provide their views for publication.
Carol Knighton, who grew up in Parsons, said she believes the power plant and data center complex will create local jobs just as the construction of Corridor H has done, and could be the start of many positive opportunities and possibilities for Tucker County.
Knighton now lives in Florida and spends about four months every summer at her second home in Parsons. She said she believes prosperity for many local residents has faded in recent years, and a data center complex could reverse that trend.
She believes that health-related concerns raised by opponents of the facility are overblown, and that much of the opposition comes from “people who probably are not native to the mountains.” She also questions the lack of opposition to the installation of the dozens of windmills that now “deface our beautiful mountains and provide very little, if any, power locally.”
“Parsons was once a prosperous little town. We had a tax base. We had a tannery, a woolen mill, and the nearby coal mines. We supported ourselves,” she said. “Then we lost our manufacturing, and the flood of 1985 destroyed so much, including the hopes and dreams of many local residents. And, over time, unfortunately prejudices have mounted against the 'rich outsiders' who have come to Canaan Valley.”
Knighton also expressed concern about the struggles the county has had in providing basic services, including EMS, to residents. She believes that a data center complex would deliver a much-needed infusion of tax revenue to local government.
“Nearly baseless hysteria”
Bill Rymer of Lexington Park, Md., said that most of the opposition to the facility is based on “questionable, nearly baseless hysteria.” Rymer, who grew up in West Virginia and owns two properties in the state including one in Tucker County, praised state lawmakers for passing a law that limits the ability of local governments to block data centers through zoning.
(That law also specifies that about one third of the new municipal property tax revenue generated by qualified data centers would go to local municipalities where those facilities are located, while the rest would be redirected to state coffers.)
Zoning and the permitting process are often abused by activists seeking to thwart any new development, said Rymer, who visits Tucker County monthly. He added that state lawmakers did “a surprisingly masterful job of doing an end-run around zoning and permits that are the scourge of free society and personal property ownership in all states. Great move.”
He added, “I applaud the state legislators for having the guts to make West Virginia a ‘sanctuary state’ for power plant and data center development.”
Rymer also said the facility would create new jobs and “a huge windfall of tax base prosperity to both the county and the state, a nearly ideal replacement for king coal.”
“Within the safe level”
Brian Bennett lives in Washington, West Virginia, near Parkersburg. He said his top three reasons for supporting the power plant and data center complex are the creation of good jobs, a boost in property tax revenue, and the potential for a variety of new businesses to make use of the electricity generated by the power plant.
Bennett said that while the facility would generate some pollution, it would be “within the safe level.”
He added that he believes the proposed facility will be inconspicuous due to its location, and it will do nothing to hurt tourism in the region.
“It’s in a low spot, and there will be trees in front of it,” he said.
Tucker United responds
Nikki Forrester, a spokeswoman for Tucker United, a local group opposed to the proposed facility, encouraged the community to work together on better ways to bring economic development to the area. “Let’s not bow to empty promises of a few jobs and a fraction of tax revenue,” Forrester said. “The tradeoff is a profound negative impact on our health and economic wellbeing that far outweighs any possible benefits.”
She added that some of the people who publicly support the facility don’t live near the proposed site. “Members of Tucker United who live here are speaking boldly and on-the-record because the proposal puts Tucker County’s health and way of life on the line.”
Note: in addition to the three people quoted above who support the proposed power plant and data center complex, others have stated on social media that they also support it. The comments in this article were limited to those who granted permission for their views to appear in Country Roads News, along with their names. This publication will continue to seek a variety of perspectives on all important issues affecting our community.
More News
No Differences Found in Prices at Parsons, Davis Shop ’N Save Stores
By Mat Cloak, contributing writer
Does the Shop ’N Save in Parsons have cheaper prices than the Davis location? Some in Tucker County believe so. Country Roads News recently conducted a price check between to find out.
According to our price check and comments from store representatives, the two Shop ‘n Save locations in Tucker County generally have the same prices.
A check of 15 grocery staples including, fruit, eggs, pasta, coffee, paper towels, peanut butter, bread, milk, meat, and beer did not find any price differences between the two locations.
All items checked had the exact same prices. For example, Everyday Essentials brand bacon cost $6.89 at both stores. A 12-pack of 12 oz. cans of Bud Light cost $15.49 at both stores. Identical items were compared.
Store representatives in Davis and Parsons said prices should be the same at the two stores. Price differences may occur occasionally when a specific location has certain specials. Different Shop N’ Save locations also sell different specialty items.
An employee at the Davis location was aware of the price difference rumor but had not found any proof while working at the store.
ARTober Fest at Timberline Features Local Artists, Music, Food, and More
ARTober Fest returns to Timberline Mountain Oct. 3-5, with art, live music, food, games, scenic chairlift rides, and more. The event is held in partnership with ArtSpring.
More details and a schedule of events are available here.
Editor’s Note: Bernie Sanders in West Virginia
Last month I attended three Bernie Sanders “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies in West Virginia as a freelancer for the New York Times. I interviewed dozens of people who attended the rallies, including many who voted for Donald Trump but were curious to hear what the Vermont senator had to say.
Before the story could be edited and published, my editors at the Times were pulled away to cover President Trump’s law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C. The Times kindly gave me permission to publish my Bernie Sanders story elsewhere.
If you’re interested in what I found at the rallies, click the button below to read my report.
I can understand how someone with historical interests in Parsons -- and who is detached from the $90M tourism economy of our area -- would think an industrial site to be a positive for our area. Her arms-lengthy point of view suggests she does not understand or care about our current economy, small businesses, families and way of life in this area. Let's put the industrial site in Parsons since that's the main demographic that supports this thing.
Good info!!