West Virginia has seen multiple data center proposals popping up statewide following the passage of legislation allowing them to create their own power source through microgrids.

During this years legislative session, some lawmakers put bills on the table to give local communities more control with these data centers and to improve local transparency. Those bills ultimately didn't make it across the finish line.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said she feels that the companies running the data centers must have early and strong community engagement.

Capito said transparency about the process and the effects on local residents could go a long way.

"They're going to build the power behind the grid. In other words, they're going to build their own power resources," Capito said. "So the first fear was, 'how is this going to impact my power?' Well, I think the answer to that is it won't impact it and it could actually maybe improve the situation because there will be excess power probably created in those data centers."

The recent announcement of a Google data center coming to Buffalo in Putnam County has raised concerns from community members we've spoke with who said they're concerned their water could become polluted.

Larger data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, which is equivalent to what a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people would use.

Capito said she doesn't feel that water pollution will be an issue.

"I noticed that the data center that's asking to locate in Putnam County has made a guarantee that whatever water they take out of the Ohio, they're going to replenish that water in the same amounts and more, and they're going to clean it at the same time," she said.

A community meeting will be held on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Buffalo town hall where community members plan to share their concerns regarding the Google data center.