Fairfax County considers selling land to data center developers

Fairfax County is weighing a proposal to sell part of its police training grounds to a data center developer. County officials say the $166.8 million sale of 41.7 acres would fund major upgrades to the remaining police training facility, as well as generate $20 million per year in tax revenue. However, the plan is facing opposition from environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Chesapeake Climate Action Network. They want to know if the county considered selling the land to solar power developers instead, and are asking for commitments from the data center buyer around environmentally sound practices. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the land sale proposal at a public hearing. The county has already updated its zoning rules to add new regulations around noise and setbacks for data center developments. State legislators are also considering changes to electricity billing rules to make large users like data centers pay a more proportional share of energy costs.