More pushback against new data centers across DMV

Residents in Alexandria, Virginia, are actively opposing a new data center campus planned for Edsall Road, a site designated as an industrial zone that was originally a warehouse distribution center. The proposed data center campus requires a new electric substation to power it, and local residents are focusing their opposition on denying the land use for this critical infrastructure. They plan to petition Fairfax County regarding the land use, as the planning commission is expected to weigh in on the project by late September. Dominion Energy is scheduled to brief the local land use commission on the substation tonight.

The pushback in Alexandria is part of a broader regional trend across the D.C. metropolitan area (DMV). In Montgomery County, Maryland, the county council is expected to vote on a bill that would ban new data center permits for 18 months. County leaders argue this moratorium would provide time to establish better zoning regulations, though industry representatives warn it would lead to job losses and reduced economic investment.

This proposed moratorium in Montgomery County mirrors actions already taken in other nearby jurisdictions, including Prince George's and Frederick counties, both of which have passed similar laws to pause data center development. Residents in Alexandria hope their efforts to voice opposition, particularly concerning the substation, can influence the project's future.