Virginia Beach city council approves 12-month moratorium on new data center applications
The Virginia Beach City Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications. This pause is intended to allow for the development of new regulations to address concerns such as noise, electricity, and water consumption from large-scale data facilities.
The Virginia Beach City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to enact a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications within the city. Mayor Bobby Dyer stated that the measure aims to preserve the quality of life in Virginia Beach by allowing time for new ordinances to be established.
This resolution will not affect existing data center facilities, such as Globe Alice, which handles subsea landing cables. However, it will impact proposed larger-scale and hyperscale data centers. Key concerns driving the moratorium include potential noise impacts on adjacent neighborhoods and the significant consumption of electricity and water by these facilities. A committee in Virginia Beach is currently researching how other cities in the Commonwealth are managing data center developments to inform future regulations.
City leaders emphasized their fiduciary responsibility to ensure adequate water supply and address the environmental footprint of such developments.