T5 Data Centers Proposes First Fuel Cell-Powered Data Center in Fairfax County

T5 Data Centers is seeking a special exception to construct a 312,000-square-foot data center on a 19-acre site in the Westfields International Center at Dulles in Chantilly, Fairfax County, Virginia. This proposed facility would be Fairfax County's first data center to primarily use natural-gas fuel cells for electricity, with supplemental power from the grid and diesel generators as backup. According to a letter filed by Allison Reynolds, a land use attorney representing T5, the county has not yet evaluated a data center proposal relying on on-site fuel cells for its energy needs. The letter specifically asks the county to clarify if the fuel cells are permissible under the site's I-3, Light Intensity Industrial District zoning. Fuel cells, which convert natural gas into electricity without combustion, are highlighted for their lower pollution and noise compared to gas turbines. The site's owner is identified as TAG Land Westfield, an LLC registered in Delaware.