EnergiAcres says its in ‘exploratory phase’ of possible Belmont County AI data campus
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- EnergiAcres, the company planning to construct a large AI data center campus in Belmont County, has issued a statement regarding its potential plans.
Augustine Bui, co-founder and chief growth officer for EnergiAcres, said the company is in the beginning stages of possibly constructing a data center campus.
“EnergiAcres is currently strictly in a preliminary, exploratory phase regarding potential development sites in Ohio,” he said. “Our interest in the region is driven by Ohio’s robust energy infrastructure and outstanding workforce. However, we have not finalized a site, nor are we actively developing or constructing a project in Belmont County at this time.
“Because we are only assessing high-level feasibility, formal discussions with local county commissioners and port authorities have not yet taken place. Those critical conversations naturally occur if and when a project moves from early exploration to an actionable development proposal.”
Bui added that, if the company moves forward, the site “will be built upon our core mission of sustainable, community-integrated infrastructure.”
“Unlike traditional facilities, our methodology focuses on circular economy principles, utilizing advanced cooling, high energy efficiency and waste-heat recovery to support adjacent agricultural greenhouses,” he said. “We are committed to building infrastructure that is highly resource-efficient and actively benefits the local community.”
EnergiAcres’ plans came to light June 24 when St. Clairsville resident Paul Cameron, also a state representative candidate for Ohio’s 95th District, said he recently learned the company wanted to construct a 2-3 gigawatt data center on thousands of acres somewhere in Belmont County. The information was listed on the company’s website at that time but has since been changed to exclude “Belmont County” as the main focus area.
The company’s website previously stated the project is in the planning stages and referred to it as “The Real Stargate Ohio.” The website also noted it planned to have the facility operational by the second quarter of 2029 and would use thousands of acres of land.
“Located in Belmont County, Ohio -- one of the state’s most energy-rich corridors. Proximity to major gas infrastructure and transmission lines enables fast, cost-effective interconnection. (It would use) 2-3 GW of firm power generation across thousands of acres, designed for phased build-out,” it previously noted. “Behind-the-meter architecture keeps energy costs predictable for large compute tenants. Currently in active planning and permitting. Target commercial operation date of Q2 2029, with site preparation and civil works beginning ahead of schedule.”
According to published reports, EnergiAcres proposed a data center campus in Mansfield, Ohio, but the project was rejected by the mayor in April. That proposal would have required the annexation of land from the city of Mansfield.