March starting in Alexandria to rally for Virginia data center moratorium
Organizations and residents are marching in Alexandria, Virginia, to advocate for a statewide moratorium on data center development and to oppose a proposed electrical substation for a data center project in Lincolnia, Fairfax County. The protest precedes a December 2nd public hearing by the Fairfax County Planning Commission on the substation. This action is part of a broader movement in Virginia seeking to regulate data center expansion, even as the governor has announced a new regulatory framework.
Organizations and residents opposed to data center development are conducting a march in Alexandria, Virginia's West End, culminating at the Plaza 500 center in Lincolnia, Fairfax County. The march's dual objective is to urge the Fairfax County Planning Commission to deny the Edsall Road electrical substation and to call for a statewide moratorium on new data center development. This event is part of a two-week series, Virginia's March for a Moratorium, which seeks a pause on further data center construction.
Key participants include the CCAN Action Fund, Save Bren Mar coalition, Nature Forward Action Alerts, La ColectiVA, Third Act Virginia, Mothers Out Front VA, and Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. The resident-led Save Bren Mar coalition has actively opposed the Plaza 500 data center development for years, citing environmental impacts, proximity to homes, and transparency issues. The development, spearheaded by Starwood Capital Group, is allowed by right under current county zoning rules.
However, the proposed electrical substation by Dominion Energy, crucial for the data center, requires a public facilities 2232 review by the Fairfax County Planning Commission. A public hearing for this review, initially scheduled for September, has been rescheduled for December 2nd at 7:30 p.m. The State Corporation Commission has already approved nearly a mile of new transmission lines connecting the proposed Edsall Road substation to the existing Van Dorn substation.
The march and local opposition efforts occur in the context of broader state-level discussions. Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) has announced a new framework aimed at regulating data centers, which includes reviewing noise regulations, backup power generators, and establishing guidelines for grid reliability. The governor also intends to push for the Virginia General Assembly to adopt these new data center standards during its 2027 session. Several elected officials, including Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, City Council members, Rep. Don Beyer, state Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, have publicly expressed opposition to the Plaza 500 project.