Prince William County

Land use issues in Prince William County have an outsized impact on PEC’s nine-county region, considering its proximity to Fauquier and Loudoun.

Data Centers, Surging Power Demand Take Center Stage

Posted on September 28, 2023October 13, 2023 by Julie Bolthouse

The size, scale, and speed at which applications for data center projects are coming in and being approved is astounding.

Just this month, massive proposals moved forward in Culpeper, Louisa, and King George counties, with more being reviewed in Caroline and Stafford counties. Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, and Fauquier counties all have multiple active proposals for hyperscale data centers, which can demand hundreds of megawatts of power per campus. As an example, the data center campus just approved in King George County could total more than 1,200 MW alone.

The Environmental Footprint of the Digital Age

Posted on September 25, 2023January 2, 2024 by Julie Bolthouse

Virginia is subsidizing billions of dollars in data center development on the backs of its ratepayers, without a full understanding of the long-term ramifications.

Initial Transmission Proposals – PEC Web Map

Posted on September 21, 2023May 20, 2024 by Julie Bolthouse

Transmission line proposals to serve the explosive growth of data centers in Virginia over the past few years have begun to roll in.

PEC Presentation on Data Centers & Virginia’s Clean Energy Future

Posted on June 21, 2023August 11, 2023 by Bri West

On June 10, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted our annual meeting in Loudoun County and featured a workshop on data centers and Virginia’s clean energy future. The presentation, given by PEC’s Senior Energy and Climate Policy Analyst Ashish Kapoor and Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse, is available to view and download below.

Questions Swirl Around Data Centers – How Many, Where and at What Cost?

Posted on April 21, 2023May 5, 2023 by Julie Bolthouse

Although DEQ’s proposed variance for data center diesel generator has been pulled, the underlying issue remains: Is this continued boom in data center development sustainable?

PEC Presentation on Data Centers & Potential Reliance on Backup Diesel Generators

Posted on March 29, 2023May 5, 2023 by Bri West

On March 28, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a local information session in Loudoun County about a variance being proposed by The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to allow Loudoun data centers to use their backup diesel generators more frequently during the coming summer.

Update on DEQ’s air quality variance for data centers

Posted on March 21, 2023May 5, 2023 by Julie Bolthouse

The variance would allow backup diesel generators to run more frequently this coming summer.

Data Centers, Diesel Generators and Air Quality – PEC Web Map

Posted on March 3, 2023May 5, 2023 by Bri West

PEC requested the air permits for all of the approximately hundred data center facilities covered under the proposed DEQ variance, including the number of commercial generators per facility. We determined that there are 4,632 commercial diesel generators in total and that these generators have a total capacity of 11.1 gigawatts of power. Our web map displays the data centers locations, as well as nearby schools, nursing homes and low income communities.

Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Air Quality in Jeopardy

Posted on February 17, 2023May 5, 2023 by PEC

The VA Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking comment on an order that will temporarily allow data centers in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties to operate their generators for longer and more frequent periods of time due to projected grid instability issues during peak summer energy usage.

Virginia goes all in on data centers: At what cost?

Posted on February 2, 2023May 5, 2023 by Chris Miller

Send a letter in support of SB 1078 and Senate Joint Resolution 240.