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Prince William County residents rally against proposed data center
Prince William County residents are once again set to rally against proposed data centers in their area. Wednesday’s demonstration came as Dominion Energy eyes a plan to build a six-mile-long transmission line to connect its stations.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. - Prince William County residents are once again set to rally against proposed data centers in their area.
Wednesday’s demonstration comes as Dominion Energy eyes a plan to build a six-mile-long transmission line to connect its stations.
What they're saying:
Dominion is holding an open house on the campus of George Mason University to engage neighbors about their concerns around this project, which is why organizers held a rally on Wednesday.
The organizers of the rally against the data centers say they are sick of feeling like their neighborhoods are becoming extension cords for big data.
We know, of course, that Northern Virginia has an incredibly high density of data centers and these folks want to put an end to that.
"They’re going to go right through my yard," said Rob Place, whose home is on one of the proposed routes for the project. "Between me and my neighbor, put up these towers, devalue my property, on top of that what I'm really concerned about is the health and safety of my family."
"The wildlife in the woods, the reason you’re here in the first place, gets turned into this. It gets turned into giant transmission lines no one asked for," Virginia State Senator Danica Roem neighbors during the rally.
The backstory:
Dominion's new proposed transmission line is meant to connect the existing Nokesville substation to its future Bristow switching station.
It will, according to Dominion, be about 6.5 miles long with three potential overhead route options currently under evaluation.
Dominion claims the line will ensure dependable electric service, but residents don't want it, saying the data center density in Prince William County is already overwhelming.
Those residents say the proposed routes will negatively impact neighborhoods, county schools and natural land.
FOX 5 has reached out to Dominion. We haven't yet heard back.