< Previous134 JULY 2025 SITE SELECTION President and CEO Misty Mayo in the organization’s 2024 annual report. Economist Dr. Ray Perryman of The Perryman Group said, “Total ongoing benefits at mature operations levels include $330.6 million in gross product each year.” “This data center model combines Lancium’s expertise in clean energy with Crusoe’s innovative AI infrastructure, maximizing benefits for both Abilene and the industry,” said Michael McNamara, co-founder and CEO of Lancium, in a November 2024 release. “We are very proud to be part of Abilene, and we will continue to partner with the Abilene community as we develop our site.” “The Lancium Clean Campus represents a new era of innovation for Abilene,” said Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt. “These positions will allow families to build their futures right here in West Texas.” Project Roundup A tour of other TexasEDConnection communities unveils other groundbreaking projects as well: In February 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the third project under the new Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation (JETI) incentives program is waste plastics recycling company Braven Environmental’s $145 million investment in an advanced recycling facility at TexAmericas Center in Texarkana and Bowie County. The Texas energy industry is ready: In March, BASF became the latest to sign a supply agreement with Braven for the company’s end product, Braven PyChem®, to partially replace fossil resources at the BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemical (BTP) facility in Port Arthur. Chevron Phillips Chemical did the same last November. “I appreciate Braven choosing our corner of Northeast Texas as the next Coppell, Texas, tops the TexasEDConnection list when it comes to projects attracted since January 2023. Photo by TrongNguyen: Getty Images136 JULY 2025 SITE SELECTION location for their cutting-edge environmental facility,” said Representative Gary VanDeaver. “But Braven did not do this work alone. I especially want to thank the Governor’s Office, Bowie County, Hooks Independent School District (ISD), Texarkana College and the TexAmericas Center for working hard to show Braven that Northeast Texas was the best possible place they could choose.” “As we evaluate and prioritize locations for our next Braven sites, the support of state and local governments plays a critical role in our decision-making process,” said Braven Environmental CEO Jim Simon. “We deeply appreciate the strong support we’ve received from the Governor’s Office of the great State of Texas, Hooks ISD and the TexAmericas Center.” TexAmericas Center is one of the largest mixed-use industrial parks in the Americas, with 12,000 acres, 3.5 million sq. ft. of commercial and industrial property, and a mission to create 12,000 jobs on the footprint of a former Department of Defense property. The site is home to 33 employers leasing over 1.1 million sq. ft., including yet another expansion by Rowe Casa Organics. A new operation from Local Bounti opened in Mount Pleasant in 2024. Photo courtesy of Local Bounti SITE SELECTION JULY 2025 137 In November, Mexico-based Electrolit, maker of a hydration beverage crafted with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, announced its first U.S. manufacturing facility, a $400 million, 600,000-sq.-ft. project in Waco that will create more than 200 jobs. The production hub, slated to open in early 2026, came about thanks to collaboration with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, enabling the company to secure land in Texas Central Park, Waco’s largest industrial park. The Chamber was one part of a regional economic development partnership involving the City of Waco, McLennan County and the Waco Industrial Foundation. The annual report from Kilgore Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) notes that the five projects secured by the community in 2022-2023 — including major investments from Camfil USA and Keeprite Refrigeration — “represent capital investment under contract greater than any year in KEDC’s 34-year history, and jobs under contract near the highest recorded. Even more impressively, those companies are projected to invest a minimum of $65,043,633 in new real property along with $2,889,900 in land value. The real property value alone exceeds the total investment projections during several of the past five years.” Over those five years, KEDC has closed 24 projects that generated more than 2,900 jobs and nearly $370 million in new and retained capital investment. For a recent episode of his popular “Gone to Texas” podcast series, Dave Quinn talked to Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation (JEDCO) President Shane Pace about LU-VE, a manufacturer of air heat exchangers for industrial and commercial refrigeration, which acquired a local company in 2019 and has chosen to expand with 225,000 new sq. ft. of manufacturing, warehouse and office space that involves an investment of more than $30 million and the creation of more than 50 new jobs. “They chose to stay in Jacksonville because of the workforce and the partnerships with the City and JEDCO,” Pace told Quinn. “We have a robust manufacturing presence with a skilled workforce, and the City and EDC that are nimble and ready to step up and make a project happen. We move much more quickly than other larger cities and we will be their partner not only through the process, but as long as they are here in Jacksonville.” Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation in February welcomed NXG Truck Bodies, which is making a $20 million investment to construct and operate a new 120,000-sq.- ft. manufacturing site that will create a net 95 new jobs at a location annexed into the city limits. The town in June 2024 celebrated the grand opening of a controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) operation from Montana- based Local Bounti, which is growing its national network of sites using its patented Stack & Flow Technology®. The Mount Pleasant site is focused on the company’s Living Butter lettuce and cut products and has ongoing agreements with such popular Texas grocery stores as H-E-B and Brookshire’s as well as Walmart. In May 2025, Hoover Treated Wood Products celebrated 70 years in the business of producing fire-retardant treated wood, just as it opened a new corporate office in Augusta, Georgia. The newest chapter of the company’s manufacturing history opened for business in 2023 in the form of a modern new plant in Fairfield, Texas, that the company says “showcases our dedication to staying ahead of industry standards.” 138 JULY 2025 SITE SELECTIONBuilding the Nuclear Backbone Of the U.S. Economy A quiet but consequential shift is unfolding across the Intermountain West. Utah, Idaho and Wyoming are betting that nuclear energy will define the next era of industrial competitiveness. With global manufacturing momentum complicated by tariff volatility and uncertain timelines, many companies are reevaluating expansion plans. Yet even as reshoring slows, power- intensive infrastructure — from AI data centers and electrification to advanced fabs — is outpacing available energy supplies across much of the U.S. Recognizing this inflection point, Utah has launched “Operation Gigawatt,” an initiative to double electricity generation within the decade with nuclear energy at the core of its strategy. At the state’s recent “Built Here” Nuclear Summit, Utah led the formation of a compact with Idaho and Wyoming to accelerate nuclear development through streamlined regulation and coordinated infrastructure investment. This approach is already in motion. Through a landmark agreement signed at the summit, global nuclear energy leaders Hi Tech Solutions and Holtec International selected Utah for their Western U.S. operations. Their investment includes a $35 million advanced energy campus, a new training pipeline for high-tech energy careers, and long- term plans to manufacture small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear components in the state. Holtec is finalizing a plan for up to 4 gigawatts of SMR-300s deployed in the 2030s, “primarily focused in Utah and Wyoming and supported by the ongoing testing at the Idaho National Labs.” For national site selectors and corporate decision- makers, the signal is clear: Utah is de-risking energy as a constraint to growth. Three differentiators define Utah’s approach: 1. Energy Certainty: With a robust and diversified portfolio of natural gas, coal, solar, geothermal and now nuclear Utah is building near-term stability and long-term scalability. 2. Regional Coordination: The tri-state partnership enables integrated planning across borders, unlocking advantages for companies requiring multistate supply chains, labor markets and grid access. 3. Workforce Alignment: From high schools to technical colleges, new training pathways are launching now to meet tomorrow’s demand. The Intermountain West is no longer a quiet corner of the economy. It’s building what’s next — and nuclear is leading the charge. Scott Cuthbertson is CEO of Alpen Associates, a boutique economic development consultancy based in Salt Lake City. by SCOTT CUTHBERTSON editor@siteselection.com ROCKY MOUNTAINS SITE SELECTION JULY 2025 139 Utah Office of Energy Development Director Emy Faulkner Lesofski (middle) in April signed an MOU with Holtec President of Global Clean Energy Dr. Rick Springman (right) and Hi Tech Solutions President & COO Chris Hayter. Image courtesy of Holtec Internationalby RON STARNER ron.starner@siteselection.com STATE SPOTLIGHT 140 JULY 2025 SITE SELECTION Fidelis is building the 2,000-acre Monarch AI Data Center campus in Mason County, West Virginia. Image courtesy of Fidelis West Virginia BY THE NUMBERS WEST VIRGINIA Higher Ed. R&D Expenditure in $000s: $270,953 Number of NCRCs: 5,307 | Percent Improved 2023–24: 1.22% Business Tax Climate Rank Change 2024–2025: -1 Industrial power cost per kWh: $7.24 Total Rev. as Share of Total Expenses, FY 2008-22: 104.82% 2024 Workers’ Comp Index Rate: 0.63 Selected Top Projects by Capital Investment COMPANY CITY INVESTMENT $M Nucor Corp. Apple Grove 800 Northrop Grumman Corp. Carpendale 178 Cleveland-Cliff s Weirton 150 Form Energy Weirton 150 Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Mason Cnty. 126 Source: Conway Projects Database W elcome to the next frontier of the world’s most advanced data centers: West Virginia. anks to legislation that just passed, the state is creating a certifi ed microgrid program to support the establishment of new on-site power for high-end data center campuses. Called the Power Generation and Consumption Act, the law boosts microgrid development to facilitate the expansion of data centers. e goal is to expedite and amplify the project permitting process; and it further accelerates an “all of the above” approach to energy development that includes coal, natural gas and renewable energy. After signing the bill into law on April , Gov. Patrick Morrisey said, “ e Power Generation and Consumption Act will make West Virginia the most attractive state in the country for data centers and help America better compete with China in the technology arms race of the future. Combined with the one-stop permitting bill, companies will now be able to quickly build, expand and increase job creation right here in West Virginia.” One company that already has its eye on West Virginia is O’Leary Ventures, which recently kicked off a $ billion AI data center project in northwest Alberta, Canada. Could something similar come to the mountains of West Virginia? Time will tell, but the groundwork has been laid to allow it to happen quickly. Here is a synopsis of what happened in April: Gov. Morrisey signed two bills in Point Pleasant in Mason County near the future site of the Fidelis ,-plus-acre Monarch AI Data Center Campus — a development project that the microgrid legislation is designed to attract. e two pieces of legislation address the two Big-budget data center developers keep a watchful eye on West Virginia. MAKING A MICROGRID OUT OF A MOUNTAIN SITE SELECTION JULY 2025 141 biggest needs for data centers: power and permitting. House Bill 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act, creates a certified microgrid program to expand microgrid development using coal and natural gas. The bill also reinvests in West Virginia by creating funds for economic development and grid stabilization. House Bill 2002 creates the One- Stop-Shop Permitting Program, setting up a Permitting Dashboard to operate as a “one-stop-shop” for obtaining and renewing qualifying business permits, effectively streamlining the process in West Virginia. Lighting Up the BrightLoop Earlier this year, Fidelis teamed up with Babcock & Wilcox to develop a BrightLoop facility for processing coal into low-carbon energy to power the Mountaineer Gigasystem site in Mason County. The energy plant is being designed to process coal, biomass and natural gas into lifecycle carbon-neutral energy using the plentiful natural resources of West Virginia. The power will then be used to energize the onsite AI data center campus. The Mountaineer Gigasystem is the intended power source for the 2,300- acre Monarch AI Data Center System which consists of the Monarch Compute Campus (MCC) at North Point Pleasant and the Expansion MCC, known as EMC2, at Lakin. The project is located in one of West Virginia’s High Impact Industrial Business districts. The entire undertaking is expected to create 3,000 jobs over the course of a 10-year period. Upon buildout, the $5 billion energy and data center campus could reach 1,000 megawatts (1GW) in capacity. Experts who have watched this West Virginia project and political process unfold say that the state is on the right track for creating a competitive business environment for data centers. “The West Virginia Power Generation and Consumption Act is unique,” says John H. Boyd Jr., principal of The Boyd Company Inc. “What distinguishes it, especially from states like Ohio, Virginia and Montana which do have energy initiatives targeting the data center industry, is the fact that West Virginia is including coal as another fuel option to support microgrids for data centers and for overall grid relief.” Boyd adds that “the other states emphasize natural gas or other renewables for on-site power generation. West Virginia — a coal industry powerhouse — is also unique in that this initiative is administered by the state’s economic development division. Many states support data center development through various tax incentives, especially sales tax on server equipment, and also support the growing need for microgrid development, but not in such a targeted effort coming out of their economic development departments like the new West Virginia program does.” INVESTMENT PROFILE: NEW YORK CITY Re:MADE In Brooklyn A unique redevelopment at historic Bush Terminal will cultivate the makers of the city’s future. H alf a million college graduates over the past four years chose to locate in New York City, where a college student population of , still matriculates and an equally young business roster continues to grow — one in eight fi rms in the city started in the past months. e Global Startup Ecosystem Report released in June ranked the city No. in the world, driven by such factors as , new STEM jobs over the past decade and major funding activity by ADAM BRUNS adam.bruns@siteselection.com 142 JULY 2025 SITE SELECTION More than $1.5 billion in public and private investment at NYCEDC’s historic 200-acre Sunset Park District in Brooklyn features four major industrial campuses including MADE Bush Terminal. Images courtesy of NYCEDC and NYC Municipal Archivesin such areas as fintech, AI and crypto. New York City’s vast and deep array of talent, startups, creativity and innovation requires an equally impressive menu of places for creators to do their work. Enter Brooklyn’s Sunset Park District. No, really: Enter it. There at Bush Terminal, a historic industrial location known for its pioneering approach to intermodal transportation over a century ago, you’ll find new modes of innovation making headway. Located in the north portion of the 36-acre campus, MADE Bush Terminal — which stands for Manufacturers, Artisans, Designers, Entrepreneurs — is a campus that blends industrial heritage with modern ingenuity, offering white boxed manufacturing and studio space ranging from 1,500 to 35,000 sq. ft., amenities and indoor and outdoor gathering space along the Sunset Park waterfront. The first of several buildings being redeveloped on the site was completed in early 2025 and leasing is underway. Next door, Pier 6 will welcome five additional acres of parkland space in early 2027. The terminal’s original name comes from Bush Company, a freight handling company with six warehouses, a steamship pier and rail assets launched in the late 19th century in an area that eventually grew to encompass several hundred acres and generate more than 35,000 jobs. The Bush family’s roots go further back to 17th century immigrant Jan Bosch, part of New York City’s Dutch origins. Fast forward to March 2025, when 463 members of a one-day choir assembled by the virally popular Gaia Music Collective entered MADE Bush Terminal to belt out Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” in a a newly refurbished event space one organizer could only describe as “awesome.” That was in Building A, where another 140,000 sq. ft. of space that features ceiling heights of up to 14 ft., a freight elevator with 16,000 pounds of capacity and five loading docks is projected to create over 165 permanent full-time jobs and generate $2.6 billion in economic impact over a 30-year period. Next to be redeveloped at MADE is Building C. The Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget has approved $98.7 million in capital funding for full building improvements, with the design phase now on the horizon. Building C will provide 155,000 sq. ft. for manufacturing and light industrial uses and public amenity space. As part of the district’s innovative industrial ecosystem, MADE lives alongside Brooklyn Army Terminal with its new climate innovation hub, BATWorks; and the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a future offshore wind port. “Inextricably tied to our physical projects is our work growing the city’s most important industries to create jobs, pipelines and equitable opportunity for all New Yorkers — from climate innovation to life sciences to tech and manufacturing,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball in December 2024 in recognizing the attainment of milestones across the entire Sunset Park portfolio. With assets like that ready to complement New York’s surfeit of talent, Sunset Park is a place where you can refine the spark of an idea or make sparks fly with your welding torch. It’s no wonder Startup Genome highlighted Brooklyn as a key element behind New York City’s No. 2 world ranking. As of 2024, New York City was home to more than 25,000 tech-enabled startups with an ecosystem value above $694 billion. While the average regional ecosystem in the ranking can claim four unicorns, New York has 150. As investment continues to unfold in Sunset Park, look for more innovation — and opportunity — along the Brooklyn waterfront. This Investment Profile was produced under the auspices of New York City Economic Development Corporation (edc.nyc), a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. For more on MADE Bush Terminal, visit madebushterminal.nyc. SITE SELECTION JULY 2025 143 Pier 6 will bring five acres of parkland to the MADE Bush Terminal campus in 2027. Rendering courtesy of Scape Landscape ArchitectureNext >