News Links: Supervisors Weigh Data Center Overlay and Vint Hill Substation Today
Prince William County is holding public hearings and votes on shrinking its data center overlay zone, ending by-right data center approvals, and expanding Dominion Energy's Vint Hill Substation. Separately, the Spotsylvania County Planning Commission recommended approval for a 555-acre Amazon Web Services data center campus, which now awaits a final vote from the Board of Supervisors. Both developments are facing community concerns regarding environmental and infrastructure impacts.
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is set to hold a public hearing today, September 22, concerning a zoning text amendment. This amendment proposes to reduce the size of the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District and eliminate by-right approvals for data centers across the county, requiring future projects to obtain a special use permit. The Planning Commission previously recommended a 120-day grace period for the downsized overlay.
Simultaneously, the supervisors are scheduled to vote on Dominion Energy's special use permit application to upgrade the Vint Hill Substation near Nokesville. The proposal involves converting the existing 230-kilovolt facility into a 500-kilovolt gas-insulated switching facility. This application was deferred earlier due to community concerns from Braemar and Brentsville residents regarding noise, height, and the substation's load on data centers. Dominion Energy asserts the upgrade is necessary to meet reliability standards by 2027.
In Spotsylvania County, the Planning Commission recently voted 4-2 to recommend a special-use permit for Amazon Web Services' Crossroads Technology Campus, a 555-acre project in the Lee Hill District. The commission also found the project consistent with the comprehensive plan. Residents at the hearing voiced concerns over tree loss, wildlife, the potential for three substations, generator noise, and building height. The $8 billion campus is projected to generate over $30 million annually in taxes at full build-out, with power access expected in the early 2030s. The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing and make the final decision.