Wytheville Data Center Boom Draws Resident Pushback Over Land, Water, and Electric Rates
Wytheville, Virginia is experiencing a data center boom with two massive campuses planned, including a gigawatt-sized facility. This development is drawing significant pushback from residents concerned about the impact on local land, water resources, and rising electricity rates. There is also concern about Wythe County's lack of zoning regulations to manage such extensive development.
Wytheville, Virginia, is facing a historic data center boom, with two massive gigawatt-sized campuses planned for the area. While Wythe County leaders anticipate millions in potential tax revenues from these developments, some residents are raising alarms about the significant impact on local land, water resources, and the potential for skyrocketing electricity rates.
One of the projects includes a billion-dollar artificial intelligence computing campus already underway. However, a second, much larger proposal from TAC data centers near the Pulaski County line is causing greater concern. This project aims to cover a thousand acres of farmland, utilizing a high-voltage line. Andy Kegley, a retired Wythe County Board of Supervisors member and local farmer, expressed alarm over the sheer scale of the projects, stating they will "tear up land, use too much water, and drive electricity that we don't have enough of," leading to "sky high" rates. Kegley also highlighted that Wythe County currently lacks the necessary zoning regulations to manage such extensive data center development, unlike counties such as Loudoun County.
Ratepayer concerns have reached the state capital, with the report mentioning Governor Abigail Spanberger taking a stand. She is quoted as saying that an order is in place to "make sure that the data centers are paying the full cost" of electricity, aiming to protect ratepayers from bearing the financial burden of these energy-intensive facilities.