Data Centers
“The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found that 62% of voters say local governments should be cautious about new data centers while 24% think they should encourage them because they create jobs, tax revenue and support America’s digital economy,” The Center Square reported. The national survey of 2,585 registered voters, conducted June 1-4 by Noble Predictive Insights, showed similar views across party lines, age groups and regions, with a margin of error of +/- 1.93%.
In Northern Virginia, where data centers have rapidly expanded in areas like Prince William, Loudoun and Stafford counties, the results highlight ongoing local debates over electricity demands, water usage, land impacts and rising utility costs for residents.
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“Virginia Senate leaders unveiled a budget proposal Tuesday that would raise an estimated $1.7 billion over two years through a new fee on data center generators,” The Center Square reported. The tiered impact fee on new generators would start Jan. 1 as part of unresolved budget negotiations with the House and Gov. Abigail Spanberger due by June 30.
The plan offers an alternative to phasing out sales tax exemptions for data centers, a key issue for Northern Virginia localities like Prince William and Stafford facing rapid industry growth and related infrastructure demands.
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“The proposed zoning text amendment simply will restrict any further by-right development of data centers in Prince William County,” InsideNoVa reported. “That means any and all new data center projects will have to be approved or disapproved by the board.”
“As I said last year when I gave my directive to begin retiring the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, the overlay has created a situation where data center projects are authorized to build by right, bypassing review by the county’s Planning Department, Planning Commission, and even the Board of Supervisors,” Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye told InsideNoVa.
The sessions come as the county continues to review multiple data center applications, a hot-button issue for many residents concerned about infrastructure strain, noise, visual impacts, traffic on roads like U.S. 1 (Richmond Highway) and Kings Highway, and the county’s rural-suburban character.
Active or recently active proposals include the Eskimo Hill Technology Center (south of Eskimo Hill Road, east of Potomac Creek Drive in the Falmouth Election District), proposing roughly 680,000 square feet of data center space on about 142 acres.
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State Sen. L. Louise Lucas, Democrat, will be joined by area lawmakers, including Sen. Danica Roem, Democrat, of Prince William County, for a data center listening tour stop near Manassas on Monday evening.
The event, originally scheduled at a hotel in Gainesville, has been relocated to the Best Western Battlefield Inn in Manassas. It remains set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 15. Organizers have also confirmed State Senator Kannan Srinivasan, Democrat, Loudoun, will participate.
Residents voiced concerns about air pollution and health risks from proposed large-scale data centers during public comment at the Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 2, 2026.
J.W. Swain, a Washington District resident, detailed a recent conversation with Rich Duchette of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding plans for approximately 11 million square feet of data centers along the Kings Highway assemblage.
“The issue is this: We’re not going to stop artificial intelligence. We have to put guardrails on it. But I also think we need guardrails on data centers,” the Fredericksburg Free Press reported. “I think it’s a good first step.”
“The data center industry wants to pay its fair share for power,” attorney Charlie Payne, who represents several data center clients in the Fredericksburg region, said.