Kevin Coyle: Media Coverage of PWC Opposition to Data Center Takeover

Kevin Coyle Data center news round up

Coverage of Voter Opposition to Prince William County’s 80 Million Square Foot Data Center Takeover

By Kevin Coyle

June 24,2003

Residents of Prince William County have been ignored and even run over by tone deaf and arrogant public officials and data center company representatives. The County, in partnership with the data center industry, has been pushing ahead, under the secretive cloak of non-disclosure agreements, to carry out mind boggling plans for 80 million square feet of centers in the County. This is nearly three times what has been built in Loudoun County, which is now the largest concentration in the world, by far.

Now, PW County residents are taking their communities back from the data center companies and their cynical and well-orchestrated takeover effort. A major example of this is the fight over a massive effort by QTS, Blackstone and Compass to build the Prince William Digital Gateway on 1,600 acres of rural land in the Gainesville area. It is planned for the border of the revered Manassas National Battlefield. They have optioned enough land for 21 million square feet of data centers on areas with the graves of soldiers and enslaved African American people.

Their proposal also borders Virginia’s first state forest and covers an area that was key to establishing local African American freedoms during Reconstruction. Moreover, they want a new four-lane highway along the National Park boundary that will carry as many as 20,000 daily vehicle trips. Notably, the site is also on the boundary of a senior community with some 3,300 middle-class retirees living on fixed incomes with a media age of 76. These residents’ have been scorned by politicians and developers as backward-looking, but their health and economic vulnerabilities are real. The scorn only increases their resolve to fight.

It is a battle that residents are taking to the media, the courts, to shareholders and stock analysists, to local taxing officials, power and water suppliers and, importantly, to the ballot box. Every permit will be contested, every federal contract sought will be challenged. In round one, on June 20th, 2023, these seniors were joined by 21,000 more angry voters in a primary election. Anti-takeover candidates registered two thirds of the vote. The reason for this was simple. The data center companies are exposing PW County residents to health-sapping noise, loss of property value, dangerous diesel pollution, energy blackouts, higher utility bills, worse traffic, unplanned public expenses and more. The unprecedented industrial damage is justified on the basis of promises of plentiful tax revenue but the industry has been enjoying a 60% tax subsidy so far on the backs of residents.

The following 15 pages of media links are evidence of how truly angered PW County residents are by the data center industry’s attempted takeover of the County and how much they will fight companies like QTS, Blackstone and Compass. Awareness of this battle is going nationwide and will make stops, along the way, at County headquarters, the VA Legislature, the governor’s mansion, the halls of Congress, regulatory and permitting agencies and even Wall Street.  It is time for a reset.  See links below:

 

The Washington Post

Data center backlash fuels Prince William board chair’s election loss

Four years ago, Ann B. Wheeler (D-At Large) was elected chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors as part of a liberal wave sweeping through…

AP News

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern Virginia

The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

Yahoo

https://www.yahoo.com › lifestyle › backlash-data-cen…

 

2 days ago — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

DC News Now | Washington, DC

Prince William County’s chair defeated in primary, highlighting role of data centers in area’s politics

Prince William County’s chair was defeated by a political newcomer despite a significant financial disadvantage. Advocates and analysts believe a…

Bisnow

Why A Local Primary Election Upset Could Mean Big Changes For Data Center Development

A surprise primary victory by a candidate backed by data center opponents could make building data centers in Prince William County significantly harder.

Data Center Opponent Wins Key Virginia Election …

Bisnow

https://www.bisnow.com › data-center-bisnow-national

 

Feb 23, 2023 — After a Prince William County race that became a referendum on data center development, a vocal opponent won, and developers may have reason …

WUSA9

Novice politician stuns incumbent board chair in Prince William County Democratic primary

Both Supervisor Board Chair nominees Deshundra Jefferson and Jeanine Lawson have been critical of plans for Digital Gateway data centers in Prince William…

 

NBC4 Washington

Prince William County voters back data center opponents in primary

Data center expansion in Northern Virginia may have led to a stunning upset in

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

Go.com

https://abcnews.go.com › wireStory › backlash-data-ce…

 

2 days ago — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

MSN

https://www.msn.com › en-us › news › backlash-to-da…

 

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in nor…

AccessWDUN

https://accesswdun.com › article

 

2 days ago — (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

A data center complex the size of 4 Pentagons that … – TikTok

tiktok.com

https://www.tiktok.com › video

… Virginia voters would support legislation prohibiting large industrial data centers from being built within a mile of a national park, …

TikTok · npcavids · 1 month ago

NBC4 Washington

Data centers played role in Prince William primary

Tuesday’s primary delivered a stunning result in Prince William County, Virginia, where Democratic Board of Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler’s bid for a second…

‘We’re mowed over’: colossal data centers are taking …

The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com › us-news › jun › virgin…

 

Jun 5, 2023 — Sources: Digital Gateway boundary from Prince William countydata center locations from Bill Wright and Bob Weir. A report commissioned by …

 

The Washington Post

Local elections in Northern Virginia focus on housing, data centers

Local contests in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties are centering on debates over “missing middle” housing and data-center…

 

InsideNoVa.com

Deshundra Jefferson ousts Prince William Board Chair Ann Wheeler

Deshundra Jefferson upset incumbent Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Prince William Times

UPDATED: Anti-data center vote fuels Supervisor Jeanine Lawson’s victory in the GOP primary for county chair

Supervisor Jeanine Lawson handily won the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary election to run for chair of the Prince William Board of County…

Prince William Times

UPSET OVER DATA CENTERS: Deshundra Jefferson unseats Board Chair Ann Wheeler in Democratic primary

Political strategist and former news reporter Deshundra Jefferson won a major upset Tuesday, defeating incumbent Ann Wheeler in the Democratic primary for…

El Paso Inc.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern Virginia

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince…

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

Seattle PI

https://www.seattlepi.com › News › Politics

2 days ago — (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

ABC4 Utah

https://www.abc4.com › news › ap-technology › backl…

2 days ago — (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

FOX 28 Spokane

https://www.fox28spokane.com › backlash-to-data-ce…

2 days ago — FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince ..

 

Siliconeer | Backlash To Data Centers Prompts Political …

Siliconeer

https://siliconeer.com › … › Topics › Business and Tech

 

2 days ago — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a glitch this week in Prince William County.

Backlash To Data Centers Prompts Political Upset In …

Barchart.com

https://www.barchart.com › story › news › backlash-to…

2 days ago — It was approved despite vocal opposition from residents concerned that the data centers are noisy, ugly, and consume massive amounts of …

Bristow Beat

Jeanine Lawson Wins Republican PW BOCS Chair Primary by Landslide

In an expected landslide, Jeanine Lawson, Brentsville County Supervisor, won in the Prince William County Republican Primary, today,…

Potomac Local

Prince William County voters back data center opponents in primary

Data center expansion in Northern Virginia may have led to a stunning upset in Tuesday’s primary, when a political newcomer defeated the…

Potomac Local

Opinion: We can correct the course of Prince William County’s future

… Markus Winkler/Unsplash] On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, we can correct the course of Prince William County’s future with our votes in the Primary Election.

Politics | WSLS 10 News

WSLS 10

https://www.wsls.com › news › politics

 

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern Virginia … with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Politics | Political Headlines

KSAT.com

https://www.ksat.com › news › politics

 

The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Technology

Click2Houston

https://www.click2houston.com › topic › Technology

 

May 31, 2023 — The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Tech News

Click Orlando

https://www.clickorlando.com › tech

 

The tech industry’s drive to dot the Virginia landscape with data centers may have hit a snag this week in Prince William County.

Backlash to data centers prompts political upset in northern …

Ground News

https://ground.news › article › backlash-to-data-center…

 

3 days ago — Deshundra Jefferson, a political newcomer and opponent of data centers, has upset the county’s top elected official Ann Wheeler in the …

Political Winners and Losers: Virginia Primary Elections …

Blue Virginia

https://bluevirginia.us › 2023 Elections

 

2 days ago — What on earth happened here? Was this a backlash against Wheeler’s support for data centers? Was Wheeler not popular among the Democratic base …

WJLA

Data centers, housing at center of Prince William County Neabsco District race

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (7News) — After serving in the U.S. Army for 23 years, Victor Angry is looking to serve four more years on the…

WJLA

Republican candidates eye taxes, data centers in fight for Prince William County chair

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (7News) — After intense debates over data centers have characterized many Prince William County Board of…

Prince William County – The Digital Battlefield

Bean, Kinney & Korman

https://www.beankinney.com › prince-william-county-…

 

Aug 4, 2022 — Prince William County (PWC) is becoming a crucial location for data center developers. However, as PWC creates incentives for data center …

Data Centers in Northern Virginia May Be Factors for Some …

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com › watch

 

Jun 9, 2023 — With the increase in data centers in Northern Virginiavoters in Prince William County may weigh candidates’ stances on the centers when it …

 

The fans and critics of Virginia data centers

WVTF

https://www.wvtf.org › news › the-fans-and-critics-of-…

 

May 26, 2023 — The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is considering a huge data center next door to the Manassas Battlefield. That’s a proposal that ..

 

Prince William Times

UPDATED: Lawson supporters cite data center concerns in GOP primary for county chair

Supervisor Jeanine Lawson handily won the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary election to run for chair of the Prince William Board…

.

Prince William Times

BREAKING: Deshundra Jefferson pulls off major upset to unseat Ann Wheeler in Democratic primary for county board …

Political strategist and former news reporter Deshundra Jefferson won a major upset in Tuesday’s primary election, defeating incumbent Ann…

.

Blue Virginia

Saying “Data centers belong in industrial areas, not next to homes or schools,” Democrat Deshundra Jefferson …

As I noted recently, 2023 is going to be a VERY eventful year in Virginia politics. Among other things, the entire Virginia General Assembly…

Potomac Local

Updated: Lawson wins GOP nomination for Prince William Sups Chair At-large

Updated 8 a.m. June 21, 2023. Virginia Department of Elections: Republican Jeanine Lawson won her race against challenger Ken Knarr by 62…

Prince William Times

Data center development divides primary races for Prince William County board chair

The pace of data center development in Prince William County – and how county officials should try to shape it – is at the center of the…

Bisnow

QTS Unveils New Plans For Contentious 850-Acre Virginia Data Center Campus

Data Center developer QTS has unveiled its latest plans for a massive campus in Prince William County’s controversial Digital Gateway.

Backlash to Data Centers Prompts Political Upset in …

Well News

https://www.thewellnews.com › elections › backlash-to…

 

1 day ago — It was approved despite vocal opposition from residents concerned that the data centers are noisy, ugly, and consume massive amounts of …

DC News Now | Washington, DC

Voters consider candidates’ positions on data centers in upcoming Prince William County primary election

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — While Gov. Glenn Youngkin has supported the expansion of data center campuses in Virginia,…

Bristow Beat

Prince William Residents Endorse Deshundra Jefferson

On Tuesday June 20, 2023, we can correct the course of Prince William County’s future with our votes in the primary election.

Prince William Times

Data center debate at issue in Dems’ primary for the 29th District state Senate seat

One of 2023’s most watched state primary contests pits a progressive Latina against a well-liked incumbent and highlights the divide over…

Bristow Beat

NoVa HOA Roundtable Endorses Candidates in PWC Board Chair Primary

The HOA Roundtable of Northern Virginia announces its endorsement of Deshundra Jefferson (D) & Jeanine Lawson (R) in the June 20 Primary…

Prince William homeowners sue to block data centers next …

Washington Times

https://www.washingtontimes.com › news › dec › prin…

 

Dec 9, 2022 — Homeowners in Prince William County, Virginia, have filed two lawsuits to stop data centers from being developed on 2139 acres of privately …

Virginia has a data center problem – GCN

gcn.com

https://gcn.com › cloud-infrastructure › 2022/12 › vir…

 

Dec 9, 2022 — The divide on data center siting is polarizing, but it isn’t partisan. The Democratic majority on the Prince William board of supervisors …

Data centers may be nearing tipping point in Northern …

Bay Journal

https://www.bayjournal.com › growth_conservation › da…

 

Jun 6, 2023 — The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in late January proposed a variance that would, in some counties, relax restrictions on data …

Robert Duvall joins protests against Amazon data center

Fox Business

https://www.foxbusiness.com › technology › robert-d…

 

Feb 18, 2023 — A town in Virginia voted to provide Amazon with a special use permit to build a data center despite protests from over 100 speakers, …

Fights over data centers intensify in multiple Northern …

WJLA

https://wjla.com › news › local › fights-over-data-cent…

 

Feb 17, 2023 — Actor Robert Duvall joins opposition as fights over data centers intensify in Northern Va. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va.

 

Amazon Web Services data centers deal in Virginia sparks …

Fortune

https://fortune.com › 2023/01/21 › amazon-web-services…

 

Jan 21, 2023 — Bill Wright, a Prince William County resident who opposed a massive data center expansion recently approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors …

 

Data Center Poll Finds Concerns About Parks

DCist

https://dcist.com › Story

 

May 11, 2023 — Community debate over data centers in Northern Virginia is swelling. In Prince William County, the November zoning change to allow for data …

Missing: controversy ‎| Must include: controversy

Poll: National Parks in Virginia Need Protection from Data …

Northern Virginia Magazine

https://northernvirginiamag.com › news › 2023/05/11

 

May 11, 2023 — Do Northern Virginians think data centers should be built near national parks? A National Parks Conservation Association poll says no.

 

Commentary: Virginia has a data center problem

Royal Examiner

https://royalexaminer.com › commentary-virginia-has-…

 

Dec 9, 2022 — The divide on data center siting is polarizing, but it isn’t partisan. The Democratic majority on the Prince William board of supervisors …

 

 

FOX 5 DC

Data center plan sparks more controversy with residents

The controversy surrounding data centers continue. Two developers looking to build in Prince William County hosted community meetings.

.

Prince William Times

Prince William County’s planning director, deputy resign with controversial data center projects in limbo

The top two members of Prince William County’s professional planning staff resigned this week as several controversial development projects remain in limbo…

 

Potomac Local

More staffers exit Prince William County as data center debate rages

And just like that, Prince William County Planning Director Mark Buenavista is gone. Buenavista resigned this week, after less than a month on the job,…

 

Prince William Times

BREAKING: Prince William County Supervisor embroiled in data center controversy says he’s resigning

Supervisor Peter Candland announced on Saturday his resignation effective Dec. 16, saying his “ability to serve on the Board of County Supervisors has been…

Demonstration planned to coincide with Prince William …

FOX 5 DC

https://www.fox5dc.com › news › protestors-decry-princ…

 

Apr 25, 2023 — The controversy in Prince William County surrounding plans to build a massive data center complex continues. GAINESVILLE, Va.

Prince William County signed 11 NDAs last year, seven of …

InsideNoVa.com

https://www.insidenova.com › headlines › prince-william…

 

Feb 27, 2023 — Prince William County’s Economic Development Department signed 11 non-disclosure agreements in 2022 primarily with data center developers.

Prince William County Residents Protest Data Centers

NBC4 Washington

https://www.nbcwashington.com › northern-virginia › pr…

 

Apr 25, 2023 — Prince William County Residents Protest Data Centers · More Northern Virginia Videos · Latest.

Gainsville residents hold protest outside … – The Cairns Post

The Cairns Post

https://www.cairnspost.com.au › News › World

 

The controversy around data centers in Prince William County continues. Tuesday night, residents in Gainsville held a protest outside the …

The Cairns Post · Apr 26, 2023

The Dark Secrets of Prince William County’s Data Center …

The Rural Lune

https://www.rurallune.com › the-dark-secrets-of-princ…

 

Mar 31, 2023 — In actuality, every single data center in Prince William County serves as an intergalactic communications hub for an extensive network of …

Data center consolidation makes Virginia a nuclear target

The Cavalier Daily

https://www.cavalierdaily.com › article › 2023/02 › da…

 

Feb 19, 2023 — In reality, three well-placed HEMP missiles in Northern Virginia could effectively fry 60 percent of U.S. data centers — due to data center …

DEQ fears Northern Virginia lacks electricity to power data …

Potomac Local

https://www.potomaclocal.com › 2023/02/01 › deq-fe…

 

Feb 1, 2023 — The state’s Department of Environmental Quality will consider allowing data centers in Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun County (the world’s …

In Northern Virginia, a Coming Data Center Boom Sounds …

InsideClimate News

https://insideclimatenews.org › News

 

Feb 10, 2023 — MANASSAS, Va.—In Great Oak, about three miles from the iconic Manassas Railroad Depot, a vast Amazon Web Services data center fills the …

Recall effort launched against Prince William Supervisor …

WTOP

https://wtop.com › Local News

 

Jun 28, 2022 — The petition focuses on alleged neglect of duty and misuse of office, citing a litany of votes Candland has taken on data centers, related …

Pro-data center flyers sent home with Prince …

Prince William Times

https://www.princewilliamtimes.com › news › pro-data-c…

 

Jun 4, 2023 — The school division is blaming QTS data centers, one of two data center companies involved in the Prince William Digital Gateway, a …

You visited this page on 6/23/23.

Data center community meeting canceled amidst controversy

FOX 5 DC

https://www.fox5dc.com › news › data-center-communit…

 

May 2, 2023 — The subject of data centers continues to cause controversy in Northern Virginia where a community meeting on the issue was canceled Tuesday …

Data center plan sparks more controversy with residents

Yahoo

https://www.yahoo.com › lifestyle › data-center-plan-s…

 

Apr 25, 2023 — The controversy surrounding data centers continue. Two developers looking to build in Prince William County hosted community meetings.

FOX 5 DC

Diesel generators powering data centers in Northern Virginia could be harming the environment

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – The data center controversy is heating up again in Northern Virginia. At a public hearing Monday at the Department of Environmental…

Data Centers In The Wrong Place: It’s A Bad Deal

– Nature Forward

https://natureforward.org › data-centers-in-the-wrong-…

 

Oct 11, 2022 — On September 13, 2022, ANS submitted written comments in opposition to a plan in Prince William County to bisect the protected areas of …

Keep Massive Industrial Data Centers Away from our …

National Parks Conservation Association

https://www.npca.org › advocacy › 102-keep-massive…

 

Share on: … New developments could compromise the environmental integrity of several national parks in Virginia, including Prince William Forest Park, Manassas …

 

Protect Virginia Battlefields from Massive Data Centers

American Battlefield Trust

https://www.battlefields.org › preserve › speak-out › p…

 

Preservation Virginia Calls Out Threat of Data Centers To Historic Battlefields in Annual ‘Endangered Sites’ List · American Battlefield Trust Opposes Data …