'Project Hercules' data center construction expected to start by end of the year in Appomattox County
AVAIO Digital’s Project Hercules data center campus in Appomattox County is expected to begin construction by the end of the year after permits were submitted and a performance agreement was finalized. The $3 billion project will span more than 400 acres and eventually include six or seven data centers, while local residents have raised concerns about its environmental impacts, water and electricity use, and limited public input. The article also details new data center zoning rules and early-stage proposals in Amherst and Campbell counties, as well as regulatory changes in Lynchburg.
AVAIO Digital is preparing to build Project Hercules, a data center campus of more than 400 acres in Appomattox County. County Economic Development Authority chair Garet Bosiger said construction is expected to begin by the end of the year, with the 10-year buildout projected to create at least 500 construction jobs. The campus is expected to receive initial power in 2027 and ultimately include six or seven data centers.
The project has secured permits, stormwater approval from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and a planned performance agreement with the county. The Town of Appomattox has committed to provide up to 45,000 gallons of water and wastewater service daily, while AVAIO is pursuing additional transmission capacity from Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Dominion Energy. County officials support the project for its projected tax revenue and employment, but a petition with nearly 300 signatures and public criticism cite concerns about resident input, the landscape, noise, resource consumption and environmental impacts.
Elsewhere in the Lynchburg region, Amherst County is requiring a proposed Old Dominion Capital Partners data center in Madison Heights to go through a special exception process after deeming its initial application incomplete. Campbell County and Lynchburg have also adopted rules requiring special-use or conditional-use approval for future data centers, while two Campbell County proposals with vested rights remain in early planning stages.