Loudoun County to host open houses on data center standards in September
Loudoun County is holding two public open houses in September to gather input for phase two of its Data Center Standards and Locations planning and zoning project. These sessions will address proposed policy and regulatory changes concerning noise, energy generation, battery storage, substations, and data center design to mitigate impacts. This initiative follows phase one, which eliminated by-right data center development in the county.
Loudoun County, Virginia, a global data center hub with over 250 facilities, is advancing phase two of its Data Center Standards and Locations planning and zoning project. The county's Board of Supervisors initiated this project in February 2024, with phase one concluding in March 2025 when the board voted to designate data centers as a conditional or special exception use, effectively eliminating by-right development in the county.
The current second phase focuses on comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance amendments to mitigate the impacts of existing data center development. Key areas under review by county staff include noise, on-site energy generation, battery energy storage systems, substations, and overall data center design and siting. To gather public input, Loudoun County will host two open houses in September: one on September 28 at Broad Run High School in Ashburn and another on September 30 at Douglass Community Center in Leesburg.
These drop-in events will enable residents to directly engage with staff from the Department of Planning and Zoning, participate in brief online surveys or polls, and observe noise metering demonstrations. Input collected at these open houses will inform staff recommendations, which are anticipated to be presented to the Planning Commission in February 2027.