Loudoun County delays vote on proposal that would have halted 23 data center projects
Loudoun County delays vote on proposal that would have halted 23 data center projects
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors delayed a vote on a resolution that would have halted 23 data center projects.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to delay a proposal that would have prevented 23 data center projects from moving forward.
What we know:
The projects were grandfathered in before a moratorium on data centers took effect in the county. The resolution would have put an expiration date on those plans.
The board instead voted to seek legal opinion from the county attorney to prepare for the possibility of passing the resolution. The board will reconvene to discuss the issue on Oct. 6.
Neighbors who spoke at the Tuesday night meeting said they want to see tighter restrictions, while data center supporters emphasized there’s a lot at stake, including thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in investments. They are warning this could lead to a legal battle.
"Whether you're a data center operator, it really could be a hit on Loudoun County businesses reputation because you are just creating uncertainty," said Nicole Riley with the Data Center Coalition.
"There’s already people looking to sell their property...and I don't blame them. "My husband and I have thought about it, but then its like where do you go," said county resident Michelle Jurgens.
Jurgens lives near George Washington University’s Virginia Science and Technology campus, which was recently sold to Amazon Web Services.
She and other neighbors said they are worried about what more data centers could mean for quality of life in the area.
Neighbors also raised concerns about electricity, the strain on the power grid and what that could mean for their utility bills.
But industry supporters argue the data center boom has brought more good-paying jobs and much-needed investments to the county. They say a moratorium could put that at risk.
Big picture view:
The debate comes as data centers have become a growing political issue nationally. President Donald Trump weighed in Monday, arguing that communities should welcome data centers as a source of economic growth.
Loudoun County, widely known as a center of the data center industry, has become a focal point in the debate over the facilities’ economic benefits and their impact on communities.
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Residents in and around Leesburg told FOX 5 that data center development has become an increasingly visible issue. Some said they are concerned about the pace of development and what they describe as encroachment on residential areas, while others said the issue has become another political fight dividing the community.
The Source: Information in this article is from original FOX 5 DC reporting.