New details on massive data center planned in Pittsylvania County

Hyperscale data center company Stack Infrastructure has agreed to purchase nearly 3,000 acres at the Berry Hill Megasite, located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, for approximately $720 million. The company plans a $73 billion investment over the next 30 years to build a digital campus primarily focused on AI training and learning, rather than traditional cloud data centers. Pittsylvania County Economic Development Director Matt Rowe stated the project is expected to generate around 2,050 direct, full-time jobs within 20 years, excluding an additional 2,000 to 4,000 construction jobs. The average starting wage for these employees is projected at $80,500. Unlike many other data center developments in Virginia, this project will not receive local tax incentives; the county will establish a new tax rate for data center equipment without an accelerated depreciation schedule. This is expected to generate between $2.5 billion and $3.3 billion in tax revenue over the first 20 years, benefiting both Danville and Pittsylvania County. Regarding infrastructure, Stack Infrastructure will bear the cost of all necessary electrical infrastructure, collaborating with Appalachian Power. The county also carved out the megasite from Danville Utility Service territory to place it within Appalachian Power's service area. Furthermore, the project's water usage will be minimal, estimated at 10,000 to 20,000 gallons per day, primarily utilizing dry-cooling methods. Water will be sourced from the City of Eden, which draws from the Dan River, a source with ample capacity.