Dear neighbors, friends, and supporters!
The quote by Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” encapsulates an essential and profound truth about life – and reversing the tide on data center sprawl.
Finally, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors reacted to the crushing reality that communities are being consumed by data center infrastructure, and that the threats to access affordable and reliable power are VERY real.
A big shout out to Piedmont Environmental Council for their stellar leadership and, in particular, the hard work of Julie Bolthouse!
WJLA: Citizens protest and Loudoun County Board votes down Belmont Data Center application
The front-page picture in this next article includes PWC resident and Coalition Board Director Rachel Ellis!
“The proposed scale of the development would contribute to the need for additional high-voltage transmission lines, which will have adverse impacts on existing and proposed development in the County and immediate impacts on surrounding properties,” the board’s findings for denial say.”
“But supervisors on the prevailing side argued that the power constraints were too great to overlook. And, they said, developers can choose to provide these contributions even for a by-right development. “They can do more if they choose to,” said Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large).”“I wish I could say that this was a hard decision for me,” she said before the vote. “… At some point, I don’t know how we keep doing this. I don’t know how we keep ignoring 80% of our public who are making very good points.”
Loudoun County votes down proposal to bring new data center facility to Belmont | Watch (msn.com)
But Prince William County is in trouble.
We are saying, enough is enough!
Let’s hope this decision will light the way for other elected leaders, especially in Prince William County! There are numerous upcoming data center rezoning votes in PWC that mirror this Loudoun County Belmont application that was denied: Wellington Glen, Potomac Tech Park, Mid-County Tech Park.
And coming up next Tuesday, 7:30 pm at the McCoart Building: Parsons/Abel Data Center rezoning and proffer applications.
Just like Loudoun’s Belmont application, these should be DENIED.
Item_13-B.pdf (legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com)
WHEREAS, this is a request to amend the proffers associated with #REZ2018-00018 to allow an increase in the maximum height for data center buildings in Land Bays 1, 2, and 3 up to 85 feet (inclusive of rooftop equipment) and for data center buildings in Land Bay 4 up to 80 feet (exclusive of rooftop equipment), to change the base zoning designation in Land Bay 2 to allow B-1 (General Business) / M-1 (Heavy Industrial) uses
Item_13-C.pdf (legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com)
WHEREAS, this is a request to rezone ±6.00 acres from A-1, Agricultural, to PBD, Planned Business District, and with associated development waivers and modifications, to include use modifications to allow Industrial/Transportation (M/T) uses, to permit distribution and fulfillment centers and data center as part of the Property’s M/T, Heavy Industrial zoning designation, to permit outdoor storage, to permit the PBD zoning district on a lot size less than 15 contiguous acres, permit the maximum height for data center buildings up to 80 feet and with other associated development waivers and modifications;
We have come to a point and time where our local leaders need to adjust to the reality which has been exposed nationwide: This Data Center industry is consuming TOO MUCH power.
We have only just begun to see the power infrastructure predicated on the CURRENT PWC Data Center power load. One of our most recent blast emails shared FIVE new 105′ tall massive 230kv Transmission lines. MORE will be on the horizon.
Please send an email, sign up virtually, or show up in person to register your opposition to the Parsons Data Center applications.
chair@pwcgov.org tgordy@pwcgov.org yvega@pwcgov.org abailey@pwcgov.org vsangry@pwcgov.org kboddye@pwcgov.org mfranklin@pwcgov.org bweir@pwcgov.org djefferson@pwcgov.org bocs@pwcgov.org
If our county doesn’t SAY NO NOW to any more Data Centers, at some point our communities, from the tidal basin of the Potomac in the East to the Bull Run Mountains in the West, will look like the web in a “cats cradle” game – except what WE are dealing with isn’t a fun game.
A New Surge in Power Use Is Threatening U.S. Climate Goals – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Why Electricity Demand Is Spiking
“In Virginia, power-hungry data centers are being approved at breakneck pace.”
“For much of the 20th century, America’s electricity use increased steadily and utilities built plenty of coal, gas and nuclear plants in response. But starting in the mid-2000s, demand flattened. The economy and population kept expanding, but factories, lightbulbs and even refrigerators became much more energy efficient.”
“Now demand is rising again, for several reasons.”
“The growth of remote work, video streaming and online shopping has led to a frenzied expansion of data centers across the nation. The rise of artificial intelligence is poised to accelerate that trend: By 2030, electricity demand at U.S. data centers could triple, using as much power as 40 million homes, according to Boston Consulting Group.”
“In Northern Virginia, one of the nation’s largest data center hubs, at least 75 facilities have opened since 2019 and Dominion Energy, the local utility, says data center capacity could double in just five years.”