Data Centers
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“My district is hurting. This issue has torn apart our community,” Thomas lamented before the committee’s vote.
Kathy Kulick of the HOA Roundtable highlighted the contentious nature of the issue and emphasized the potential conflict between economic interests and environmental concerns. Kulick pointed out the influence and intimidation of the data center industry on localities, highlighting the need for state-level legislation to guide land use change requests.
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Data center developers undertake initiatives to foster community support in challenging environments
“As a growing number of major data center projects are delayed or derailed by opposition from local residents and elected officials, developers are realizing they need to play politics, and they are beginning to pour more resources into efforts to win hearts and minds,” reports Dan Rabb at BisNow.
In an effort to advocate for policies safeguarding national parks, clean water, and combating climate change, the Virginia Conservation Network, in collaboration with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), is gearing up for the annual 2024 Conservation Lobby Day on Wednesday, January 31.
This significant event aims to unite environmental supporters from across the state, addressing the constant threats faced by Virginia’s national parks, particularly from the proliferation of data centers. The General Assembly is set to consider various bills in 2024 to tackle the impacts of data centers, including rising electricity costs and environmental pressures.
Delegate Ian Lovejoy (R-22, Bristow) updated his legislative priorities at the end of the first week of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly.
Lovejoy emphasized his focus on two key issues: limiting the siting of data centers near certain areas and addressing potential conflicts of interest among local elected officials involved in land use proceedings.
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“As data centers continue to proliferate across Virginia, the General Assembly this winter is poised to take up a host of bills intended to address their impacts, including increased electricity costs and environmental pressures,” reports Charlie Paullin at The Virginia Mercury. “Virginia is home to the greatest concentration of data centers in the world. While the centers can be found around the state, most are in Northern Virginia, which has more than 300. Eastern Loudoun County, where the facilities cover roughly 573 acres, is known as Data Center Alley, and Prince William is increasingly becoming a hot spot after local officials recently approved a campus of 27 centers that would sit on 270 acres.”
Local activists and officials are joining hands to oppose Dominion Energy’s efforts to build a new substation and transmission lines near Gainesville to fuel data centers