Beth Macy on proposed Roanoke data center: ‘Congress must get involved’
Democratic Congressional candidate Beth Macy is calling for a federal moratorium on data center construction, specifically in response to a newly proposed project in Roanoke, Virginia. She highlights concerns about environmental impact, water usage, and energy prices, contrasting her stance with that of incumbent Congressman Ben Cline. Macy emphasizes the need for national regulations to govern data center development.
Beth Macy, the Democratic opponent for Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline, has voiced strong opposition to a newly proposed data center in Roanoke, Virginia, situated near the intersection of I-81 and I-581. Her stance, articulated in a campaign statement, calls for a federal moratorium on new data centers to establish clear rules for transparency, water protection, energy price control, and mandating renewable energy use.
The proposed data center, located in Wood Haven Technology Park, was recently made public by the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority. Macy alleges that data center growth is fueled by AI companies, mentioning Google, Meta, and Anthropic as examples. The article notes that an LLC involved in the Roanoke data center's evaluation phase is linked to a firm that reportedly acquires land for major tech companies like Google and Meta, often without direct attribution.
Further, the article recalls Google's prior interest in the same industrial park location, which it ultimately bypassed in favor of a site in Botetourt County, where Congressman Cline resides. This decision was primarily due to water supply issues in Roanoke, which the local government in Botetourt County plans to address by constructing a pipeline from the Spring Hollow Reservoir, despite the reservoir currently being 27 feet below capacity due to ongoing drought conditions.
Macy directly challenges Congressman Cline's position, who voted last year for a measure that included a 10-year moratorium on state and local regulation of data centers and now suggests data centers are not a congressional responsibility. Macy asserts, "Congress must get involved. We need national rules that guide data center construction, and we need them soon."
Local opposition is anticipated, with Macy stating that 75 percent of residents do not want these developments, suggesting that local governments may be complicit in promoting projects against residents' interests.