The powers that be in West Virginia are at it again on the Tucker County mountain top.

Not only do they want to put Corridor H through the Blackwater Canyon, but now someone wants to permit the 1,600-MW Ridgeline power plant to run a sprawling data center within two miles of Thomas and Davis and within one mile of the local elementary school.

To make matters worse, the West Virginia Legislature has greased the skids with the passage of House Bill 2014, which stops local officials from saying “not in my backyard.”

This new microgrid law also allows for most of the tax revenue from these data center projects to go to state coffers, not local ones.

I have deep roots in West Virginia and Tucker County. My great-grandfather — and my grandfather after him — ran DePollo’s Store in Thomas before it was the Purple Fiddle.

I lived in West Virginia for 38 years (much of it in Thomas and Elkins) until I was transferred to Pennsylvania. So I get the fact that the state needs industry and jobs, but this is not the place for this industry.

The residents of Thomas and Davis are resilient people, who’ve made the most of the scenic beauty and historical significance of the area. They’ve made tourist destinations out of waning communities by capitalizing on their history — and they’ve worked hard at it.

Most of the town of Thomas (48 structures and two other locations) is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its role in the industrial age and immigrant assimilation in America. There are several historic locations in Davis as well.

Two of West Virginia’s most beloved scenic destinations, Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley, are close by. Visitors come from near and far (one million annually) to enjoy the mountains, forests, rivers, clean air, quiet atmosphere and starry nights.

Why any state official would want to jeopardize this in exchange for a power plant that will disturb the climate, shake 100-plus-year-old buildings and ruin the night sky is beyond my comprehension.

Instead of trying to jump on the data center bandwagon in Tucker County, why not try to attract training facilities for the hospitality or tourism industry?

Why not offer incentives for businesses that would complement the area instead of introducing risk with vats of diesel fuel, smoke stack emissions and noise pollution?

Fundamental Data, the developer, is not even being transparent with this project. Their heavily redacted air permit application gives very few clues as to what will actually be built. It’s all one big trade secret.

They remind me of Enron, who during the early days of electric utility deregulation inserted themselves in the rule making all over the country so the laws would benefit their business. We saw how well that turned out.

The residents of Thomas and Davis, while few by comparison to other areas, don’t deserve to have a huge power plant and data center in their very backyard jeopardizing their health and livelihood.

There will be few jobs and lots of headaches with this project. There are other places in West Virginia where it could go and it would disturb no one. State officials should find it a better home.

Janice DePollo Lantz

Greensburg, Pa.