Amazon Web Services responds to growing data center concerns
Amazon Web Services says it is increasing community engagement and reducing reliance on nondisclosure agreements as concerns grow over Virginia’s data center expansion. In Louisa County, Amazon’s two planned campuses are expected to generate more than $25 million in annual tax revenue, but rising electricity demand, water use and grid pressure have prompted calls for a three-year statewide expansion moratorium.
Amazon Web Services is responding to growing scrutiny of Virginia’s data center boom by engaging communities earlier and moving away from nondisclosure agreements, according to Josh Weissman, the company’s vice president of data center delivery. Amazon’s two planned Louisa County campuses are projected to generate more than $25 million annually in county revenue, while Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Duane Adams said data center revenue has helped support a 15% reduction in the county’s personal property tax rate.
The economic benefits are being weighed against infrastructure concerns. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that Virginia electricity sales grew by nearly 30 million megawatt-hours from 2019 to 2025, with data centers a major driver, while a state report estimated data centers used 2.1 billion gallons of water in 2023. Chris Miller of the Piedmont Environmental Council said the electric grid has no remaining capacity, contributing to calls for a three-year moratorium on data center expansion statewide. Weissman said Amazon pays for dedicated infrastructure and additional power resources, and that many of its Northern Virginia facilities use outside air rather than water-based cooling for most of the year.