A Virginia odyssey from Troy (in Fluvanna County) to Ithaca (in Henry County) reveals the state's energy challenges
This article metaphorically explores Virginia's energy and data center challenges across several counties, highlighting the difficulty of transitioning to clean energy amidst high demand and local opposition. It details how various localities are grappling with energy generation, such as natural gas and solar, and the increasing pushback against data center developments, leading to local zoning changes and broader statewide policy debates.
Using the metaphor of Homer's "The Odyssey," Cardinal News founding editor Dwayne Yancey takes readers on a journey through various Virginia counties to illustrate the state's complex energy and data center landscape. The article begins in Fluvanna County, where Tenaska's proposed second natural gas plant has been controversially approved by the Board of Supervisors despite carbon emission concerns, highlighting the tension between the Virginia Clean Economy Act's 2050 carbon-free mandate and the grid's current reliance on natural gas.
In Nelson County, a county land purchase for economic development has sparked fears of data center construction, though officials state current ordinances prohibit them. Further south, Amherst County's planning commission has approved an ordinance that would ban data centers by right, requiring special approval from supervisors, amid rumors of a major revenue generator seeking to locate there.
The "odyssey" continues through Campbell County, which hosts a significant Appalachian Power substation and is a nexus for the proposed Valley Link transmission line, designed to move power from the Midwest to data center-heavy Northern Virginia. The article also touches on Bedford and Henry counties' resistance to large-scale solar projects, even as state law encourages more solar development. Finally, Franklin County is grappling with opposition to a proposed data center, "Project Flash," in an industrial park, indicating a growing statewide sentiment against data centers even in designated commercial areas. The piece concludes by underscoring the conflict between state energy policies and local government desires, with many rural areas feeling pressured to accommodate energy infrastructure for Northern Virginia's data center growth.