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Updated: August 25, 2026 @ 6:11 pm
The site map for the Monarch Compute Campus data center north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, shows four H-shaped buildings, each with its own set of generators powered by natural gas. Site preparation work began in April. Nscale, the company developing the data center, expects the data center to be in operation in January 2027.

The site map for the Monarch Compute Campus data center north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, shows four H-shaped buildings, each with its own set of generators powered by natural gas. Site preparation work began in April. Nscale, the company developing the data center, expects the data center to be in operation in January 2027.
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — The developer of the data center near Point Pleasant is donating $500,000 to Mason County Public Schools to develop STEM and skilled-trades programs.
“This investment aims to transform local public education by modernizing labs and workshops, providing advanced instructor training, and introducing innovative, career-ready curricula to students throughout the county,” Nscale said in a statement issued late Tuesday, Aug. 25. 
The company said the gift will also complement the estimated $87 million in new tax revenues it expects to pay “that will go directly to the Mason County Public Schools.”
“The Monarch Compute Campus will be one of the largest compute hubs in the world, and we are building it in Mason County. The opportunities that come with it should belong to this community,” Nscale CEO Josh Payne said in the announcement. “Demand for people trained in STEM and the skilled trades has never been higher. This gift will help Mason County students access the tools and training necessary to succeed in a technology-first economy.”
Jason Bechtle, site manager for the Monarch Compute Campus, said, “As a graduate of Mason County Schools, I know firsthand how life-changing this level of investment will be for our community. Nscale is demonstrating that future generations do not have to leave West Virginia to find world-class educational opportunities or high-paying careers. We are building that future right here.”
Nscale has also made donations this year to the Mason County Development Authority, the Mason County Ambulance Service, the Mason County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mason County Fair. The donation to the public schools brings the total funding to local institutions and nonprofits to more than $1 million, Nscale said.
Construction began on the Monarch Compute Campus this past spring. It is along W.Va. 62 north of Point Pleasant and near the Camp Conley community, about 47 miles north of downtown Huntington. The first phase is scheduled for completion in early 2028, construction of the second phase to follow.
Nscale says Monarch “will be one of the largest and most advanced computing hubs in the world.” Power to the computing system and other systems will be supplied by internal combustion engines that burn natural gas.
“Investments of this size with employment opportunities and commitment to the state and community add greatly to the wellbeing of West Virginians,” Steve Roberts, president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said in the Nscale news release.
“The jobs, taxes, innovation and hope that comes with this news are appreciated throughout the region. West Virginians want to grow and compete and this announcement represents growth and recognizes the value to be found in our state.”
Nscale also released the results of an economic analysis of the Monarch Compute Campus done by EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young. EY is a British professional services firm and is considered one of the four major firms in the world.
According to its website, EY uses data, AI and advanced technology to help clients by providing services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions.
The EY analysis describes the Monarch Compute Campus’ impact in Mason County and in West Virginia as a whole, including Mason County.
According to the analysis, the compute campus construction phase will:
In operation, the campus will:
Jim Ross is development and opinion editor of The Herald-Dispatch and a former business reporter and editor.
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