ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A proposed artificial intelligence data center that could be built in Belmont County has raised new questions after county commissioners said they had not previously heard about the project.
During Wednesday’s meeting of the Belmont County Board of Commissioners, St. Clairsville resident Paul Cameron informed commissioners about a proposal by EnergiAcres to develop a large AI data center somewhere in the county.
According to information published by the company, the proposed project would require between 2 and 3 gigawatts of electricity and occupy thousands of acres. The project is listed as being in the planning and permitting stages, with a target commercial operation date in the second quarter of 2029.
Commissioners Jerry Echemann, Vince Gianangeli and J.P. Dutton said the proposal was new to them and that the county had not received information about the project before Wednesday’s meeting.
Cameron told commissioners he reviewed Belmont County GIS records in an effort to identify where a project of that size might be located. Based on his research, he believes one possible area could be a large tract of land between Barnesville and Fairview, although EnergiAcres has not publicly identified a specific site.
The company states on its website that Belmont County’s natural gas resources and existing electric transmission infrastructure make the area attractive for a large computing facility. However, no formal development plans have been presented to county commissioners, and many details about the proposal remain unknown.
Cameron said he wanted local officials and residents to be aware of the proposal while it is still in the planning stages.
Commission President Jerry Echemann thanked Cameron for bringing the information forward and said it was the first time county officials had heard about the proposed development.
As of Wednesday, EnergiAcres had not announced a confirmed location for the project in Belmont County, and company representatives could not be reached for comment.
The proposal comes as large AI data centers continue to be discussed across eastern Ohio, where growing electricity demands and the availability of large tracts of land have drawn interest from developers.
For now, the Belmont County proposal remains in the planning stage, with no formal applications, public hearings or county approvals announced. Additional information about the project’s location, timeline and potential impacts has not yet been released.
