How Loudoun County became the data center capital of the world | NBC4 Washington
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall held a Q&A session explaining how the county became a data center hub, handling up to 70% of internet traffic. Residents voiced both support and opposition regarding the continued expansion of data centers. The discussion covered the county's tax benefits, water usage, and the legal status of a moratorium.
In an extraordinary question-and-answer session, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair at Large Phyllis Randall explained the historical framework that led Loudoun County, Virginia, to become the "data capital of the world," processing up to 70% of daily internet traffic.
Randall noted that the county's success began with infrastructure left by AOL, formerly headquartered there, combined with a 2000 decision by a county zoning administrator who ruled that data centers would be subject to the same zoning as office parks. This framework has made the data center industry the top commercial taxpayer in the county, with 250 existing data centers, according to the county's analysis. She added that these facilities use 10% of the county's water, partly due to a dedicated reclaimed water line.
During the session, residents expressed varied opinions on the ongoing creation of data centers, reflecting a nationwide debate. Some, like Suzanne Guida from the Belmont community, reported quality of life issues such as a "tonal hum" from nearby data centers and advocated for a halt to further development due to massive power grid infrastructure changes. Others supported continued data center growth, citing reduced tax rates, access to schools, amenities, and reduced traffic impacts. Randall informed the audience that a moratorium on data centers is currently illegal under Virginia law, as is denying land use decisions based on power consumption. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger recently highlighted the state's new, first-of-its-kind statewide energy consumption tax on data centers, designed to prevent ratepayers from bearing the cost of their energy demands.