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Bristow residents push back on data center plan
The Prince William County planning commission shut down a plan to turn a substation into a data center in Bristow. The proposal was denied on a 5-3 vote during a Wednesday night meeting. FOX 5's Regina Yurrita was at there.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -
The Prince William County planning commission shut down a plan to turn a substation into a data center in Bristow, Va.
The proposal was denied on a 5-3 vote during a Wednesday night meeting.
What we know:
The proposal was to develop an electric utility substation to power a data center near Casey Lane in Bristow.
Surrounding some of the homes are already data center operations linked to tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Residents say they’re worried about the potential health impacts, the strain on the power grid and constant noise from facilities already operating.
Local perspective:
Residents in Bristow say data centers are taking over their neighborhood.
Many neighbors voiced concerns before the Prince William County planning commission, and frustration boiled over at the planning commission meeting as they discussed another electrical substation that would power data centers.
Big picture view:
Meanwhile, as pushback grows, Virginia senators have also voted to end a nearly $2 billion tax break for data centers, requiring them to pay at least a 5% sales tax.
Some industry groups warn that it could slow data center construction and economic growth across the Commonwealth.
The proposal to revoke a tax break for tech companies still needs to go through the Virginia House.
The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative provided a statement following the decision Wednesday night.
"NOVEC appreciates the feedback from the community and the Planning Commission, and will evaluate options for next steps."