Students join local push to block Amazon’s data center in Loudoun County
Amazon plans to develop four data centers on the former Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Loudoun County. Local residents and GW students are actively opposing the project, citing concerns over environmental impacts, resource consumption, traffic, noise, and strain on the electrical grid. They are advocating for a moratorium on data center construction, with a petition submitted to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, which plans to vote on the proposal.
Students from George Washington University (GW) have joined Loudoun County residents in an active campaign to halt Amazon's proposed development of four data centers on the recently sold Virginia Science and Technology Campus. Amazon acquired the 120-acre property from GW in February for $427 million and subsequently filed a proposal in July to construct over 800,000 square feet of data center facilities.
Opposition to the project stems from concerns over potential environmental degradation, extensive natural resource consumption, increased traffic, noise pollution, and the strain on Loudoun County's electrical grid, an area already housing a significant concentration of data centers. Students and residents are circulating a petition urging the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to enact a moratorium on data center construction. District Supervisor Juli Briskman, representing the Algonkian District where the campus is located, has publicly vowed to "fight" the proposal, highlighting Amazon's potential use of "outdated" zoning policies to circumvent public hearings and Board of Supervisors approval.
While the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved new rules in March 2025 requiring board approval and public hearings for future data center projects, the VSTC property falls within an exemption under a 1972 zoning ordinance, potentially allowing Amazon to advance the project without extensive public oversight. This loophole intensifies the community's efforts to mobilize, with advocates like student Ryan Caldwell using social media to pressure officials and generate support for the moratorium vote scheduled for September 15. The petition, spearheaded by Allison Brennan, has gathered over 2,000 signatures.
Critics also question the broader implications of replacing an academic institution with commercial data centers, citing concerns about rising electricity bills, declining water quality, and the societal value of such a trade-off. Students like Sarah Boside and Taytum Wymer emphasize the "undemocratic" nature of the land sale and the need for community input on projects that significantly impact local infrastructure and quality of life.