Data center concerns draw crowd to Varina town hall meeting
A town hall meeting in Varina, Henrico County, Virginia, drew over 100 residents concerned about data center development, particularly a large expansion by QTS. Despite new county rules requiring special permits and public hearings for future projects, residents expressed frustration over previously approved expansions and their potential impact on the environment and power grid. Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson acknowledged past decisions but stated he would not approve further data center rezonings.
Over 100 residents packed a town hall meeting in Varina, Henrico County, Virginia, to voice significant concerns regarding data center development, despite it not being a scheduled agenda item. The turnout was largely prompted by data center operator QTS's plans to add 17 buildings and nearly 8 million square feet of data center space across 1,100 acres near its existing White Oak Technology Park hub, along with applications for 370 additional diesel-fired emergency generators. Organizers from Studio Two Three distributed "Protect Varina No New Data Centers" posters, which many attendees displayed throughout the nearly three-hour meeting.
Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson acknowledged the community's strong feelings. He explained that QTS's latest expansion was approved before new county rules, enacted in 2025, took effect. These stricter regulations now require public hearings and special use permits for any new data center projects, placing the Henrico Board of Supervisors in a gatekeeper role. Nelson defended previous board decisions, including a 2024 vote to rezone property for QTS, by linking it to a $60 million affordable housing trust fund funded by data center tax revenue. However, he committed to not approving any further rezoning for data centers and noted the county has raised the data center tax rate.
Residents, including Kevin Gallagher and organizers Kate Fowler and Ashley Hawkins, pushed for concrete action to halt further development. They raised concerns about environmental impacts, water usage, and strain on the power grid, citing personal electricity bills and recent instances of data centers relying on backup power. Hawkins highlighted Virginia's disproportionate share of national data centers and electrical load. While some supervisors are on record opposing further approvals and supporting higher tax rates, residents view this as an ongoing battle, seeking stronger advocacy from local leadership.