Prince William County board unanimously votes to end automatic data center approvals

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - The Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday night to end automatic approvals for data center developments, eliminating the county’s "by-right" system.

What we know:

Under the newly approved changes, the county is shrinking its Data Center Opportunity Zone, an area created in 2016 to attract technology development by allowing facilities to be built without special permission.

While the designated areas where data centers are actively being built will not get smaller, new data centers proposed outside of those zones will now generally require a Special Use Permit to move forward. The change will not impact data centers that are already built, currently under construction or operating under an existing site plan.

The decision comes amid growing regional debate over the rapid expansion of the tech industry, the placement of large-scale facilities and whether local infrastructure has enough power to support them.

In response to the growing energy demand, dozens of new power projects are being tied directly to these facilities across the region.

Before the vote, homeowners held a rally in Nokesville to push back against a proposed Dominion Energy gas-insulated substation. The board unanimously rejected the proposed substation project along Vint Hill Road.

Dominion Energy shared a statement about the possible substation expansion saying in part, "As electricity demand continues to grow across the region, projects like Vint Hill are essential to maintaining a reliable grid for homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and other customers, including data centers."

What they're saying:

Community members and local representatives spoke out against the pace of development during a public comment period.

"It's got to stop, and the people are demanding that this runaway corporate greed stop," said Virginia State Senator Danica Roem (30th District).

"I hope that they remember who they represent and that's the people and the people do not want this," added Mindy Diepenbrock of the Save Braemar Coalition. "We are done...we don't want any more."

Industry supporters have argued in the past that requiring special use permits creates barriers and delays new tech development. However, no supporters of the data center industry spoke during Tuesday’s public comment session, which was dominated by residents opposing further expansion.

With the unanimous approval, county leaders effectively ended automatic, by-right approvals for new data center development countywide.

Prince William CountyVirginiaNews