Investor testifies West Virginia’s stranded natural gas is 'pure gold for AI,' urges faster permitting for Prime 6 plant

Commenter 2, an investor testifying, said West Virginia’s abundant stranded natural gas makes the state attractive for artificial‑intelligence development and urged officials to expedite permitting to attract companies.

“There are very few states or locations in America or Mexico or Canada that have as much stranded natural gas as West Virginia has. And that's pure gold for AI,” Commenter 2 said, adding that fast permits helped the Prime 6 plant move quickly.

Why it matters: Commenter 2 framed faster permitting and flexible rules on energy equipment as a potential economic opportunity that could transform the state’s economy by enabling AI facilities that require reliable power sources.

Commenter 2 described a recent local example: he said a Prime 6 project moved from an initial discussion in November to a scheduled June timeline and credited rapid permit decisions with accelerating that project. He recommended permitting practices that allow gas turbines to operate in conjunction with diesel backup generation, saying such flexibility could make West Virginia “prime real estate now for AI.”

The transcript records no formal permit decisions or regulatory changes on the record. The remarks were testimonial and presented as an investor’s recommendation; no agency representative answered or committed to changes during the recorded exchange.

Commenter 1 also referenced having hosted business meetings in Charleston and Fairmont, West Virginia, and praised the speed of permitting for the Prime 6 site without identifying specific permitting authorities or regulatory actions in the transcript.