Dear Coalition Friends and Neighbors,
For Immediate Release
January 5, 2026
LEADING CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS PUNCH BACK AGAINST WORLD’S LARGEST DATA CENTER COMPLEX, FILE AMICUS BRIEF
Groups say the Prince William Digital Gateway threatens irreparable harm to historic, natural and cultural resources
(Manassas, Virginia) — Today, six leading national and regional conservation organizations, collectively representing more than one million members and supporters, spoke out for America’s battlefields and natural resources. The groups filed an amicus curiae brief in support of a lawsuit to stop construction of the Prince William Digital Gateway, a planned data center complex located on the western part of the Second Manassas Battlefield. If constructed, it would be the largest data center campus on the planet.
Last August, a Circuit Court judge sided with a legal challenge by the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and voided the rezoning for the project, citing improper notice provided by the county. The ruling was appealed by Prince William County, and is set to be heard by the Virginia Court of Appeals on February 24, 2026.
According to the amicus brief, the project “would inevitably lead to the irreversible and irreparable desecration of hallowed ground and the despoiling of the natural and cultural resources” in historic Prince William County.
The 1,750-acre rezoning was rushed to approval by a lame-duck Board of Supervisors, despite overwhelming public opposition and against the recommendations of the County’s professional staff and Planning Commission. In addition to the Oak Valley Homeowners Association’s suit, a parallel suit was filed by nine county residents and the American Battlefield Trust. The two suits have been consolidated for argument during the Court of Appeals hearing on February 24.
The Coalition to Protect Prince William County, Piedmont Environmental Council, National Parks Conservation Association, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, National Trust for the Historic Preservation and the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks submitted the friend-of-the-court brief today. The nonprofit organizations were all active in opposing the rezoning prior to its approval.
Manassas National Battlefield Park commemorates two critical battles of the American Civil War, the Battles of First and Second Manassas (sometimes referred to as Bull Run). Together, the two battles resulted in nearly 27,000 casualties. While the presence of a national park demonstrates the significance of these battles, important historical events occurred beyond its modern boundaries, some of which are slated to be the site of the Digital Gateway. Additionally, the proposed complex threatens the remains of those who fell and were laid to rest on the field in unknown, unmarked graves. Representatives from the National Park Service have called the project the most significant threat to the battlefield park in three decades.
The Prince William Digital Gateway — with 37 proposed data center buildings roughly the equivalent of 144 Walmart Supercenters — would require 14 on-site electrical substations for operation. These data centers are expected to consume up to 9 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power over 2 million homes, and to stretch miles of high voltage transmission lines over the hallowed grounds and private homes of Prince William County.
“The Digital Gateway promises to transform this idyllic portion of Prince William County into a buzzing hive of industrial activity, sucking up vast quantities of water and electricity and stretching transmission lines across the County and beyond,” the organizations wrote to the court.
In their filing, the nonprofit organizations said the Prince William County Board of Supervisors was “duty bound to give due account to the historical, environmental, and other impacts of their decision,” but did not conduct the proper process or give due account for the will of the people they represent. The brief also noted the varying interests of the organizations in the filing, which demonstrate the diverse impact of the rezoning and the importance of the Court’s decision.
### Coalition to Protect Prince William County, https://protectpwc.org/, Elena Schlossberg, elenalouise@hotmail.com, 703-587-0765
Piedmont Environmental Council, https://www.pecva.org/, Cindy Sabato, 540-347-2334 x7021, csabato@pecva.org
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (Preservation Virginia), https://preservationvirginia.org/, Jenna Affeldt, 804-404-6924, jaffeldt@preservationvirginia.org
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, https://protectnps.org/, Emily Thompson, 202-819-8622, Emily_Thompson@protectnps.org
National Parks Conservation Association, www.npca.org, Kyle Groetzinger, 202-893-3391, kgroetzinger@npca.org
National Trust for Historic Preservation, https://savingplaces.org/, Elliot Carter, 301-873-8520, ECarter@savingplaces.org
——————
Please make a donation to help with our on-going activities.