By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief
Happy Sunday! Here's a roundup of this week's stories in case you missed them.
NEWS
Eric Caruthers, a Belle resident who is concerned about the proposed Clean Seas project, speaks at the Kanawha County Commission meeting on July 23, 2026. Caruthers — along with several of his neighbors — delivered a petition signed by nearly 1,000 residents opposing the pyrolysis plant to Commissioners Ben Salango and Natalie Tennant. (Photo by Caity Coyne/West Virginia Watch)
COMMENTARY
A hospital “H” sign. (Photo by Sarah Ladd/Kentucky Lantern)
Stories from the States
As community pushback against data center construction grows, new commercials are cropping up in an attempt to improve public opinion. If you live in Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas or Virginia, you might have seen the 30-second ads on social media or TV.
The ads are running in states where a growing number of local governments are considering and passing policies meant to slow data center growth. For example, a group called Oregon Connects registered as a nonprofit business in the state. This came just days before the state legislature passed a one-year pause on a popular tax incentive program for data centers.
In Episode 40, you’ll hear from Alex Baumhardt, a senior reporter at the Oregon Capital Chronicle. She has been covering who is behind the pro-data center ads and how communities are responding.
Click here to listen to Episode 40: “Pro-data center industry group behind ad campaign in 7 states.”
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