Data center fight heads to Virginia Supreme Court

The long-running conflict over data center construction in Prince William County, Virginia, has escalated, with an appeal now filed before the Virginia Supreme Court. The dispute centers on the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway, a massive project planned to be the world's largest data center campus, which community members fear will disrupt the rural character near the Manassas National Battlefield. Elena Schlossberg, executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, has been leading the opposition for over two years. Their efforts were bolstered when multiple judges ruled that construction could not proceed because Prince William County failed to provide adequate public notice before approving the zoning for the project. Following these rulings, Prince William County and one of the developers, Compass Datacenters, decided not to continue their appeals. However, QTS, whose parent company is Blackstone, filed an appeal at the eleventh hour. QTS argues that there was sufficient public notice, citing a 27-hour meeting with public comments, and emphasizes the potential economic benefits the data center campus would bring to the county. Schlossberg, however, contends that the rule of law must take precedence over economic arguments and criticizes QTS and Blackstone for what she describes as holding the community "hostage." All attention is now focused on the Virginia Supreme Court's decision on whether to hear the appeal.