The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed staff yesterday (Tuesday) to stay in close touch with the Spanberger administration as the state government refines rules for dealing with data center development.
The county government needs to be “fully engaged” and ensure its “needs, challenges and experiences are represented” in a statewide discussion, Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said when introducing the directive to staff.
A data center developer has officially requested a special exception from Fairfax County to build a 312,000-square-foot data center on the corner of Stonecroft Blvd and Lee Road in Chantilly.
The application from T5 Data Centers, submitted in mid-September, provides greater insight into plans for what it calls “Project Charlie” — which could become the first fuel cell-powered data center in the county.
Northern Virginia business leaders are souring on the state of the regional economy, but a majority are optimistic about the financial impact of data centers locally.
The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC) and public relations firm Pinkston released results of their third-quarter 2026 Business Leader Survey this week, revealing the sentiments of the region’s CEOs, senior executives and business owners.
A proposal to replace office buildings in Tysons with an expanded data center has powered down for now.
The California-based operator Serverfarm recently requested that its special exception application to allow a “Vienna Cloud” data center complex on a 14.4-acre site at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive be deferred indefinitely, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik shared in a newsletter last Thursday (Oct. 1).
Fairfax County planners want a little bit more time before making a recommendation on the proposed redevelopment of Lake Fairfax Business Center.
At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Planning Commission deferred a vote on the plan to turn the mostly vacant office park in Reston into a large residential neighborhood.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has issued an executive order creating a new “accountability framework” that aims to increase transparency around proposed data center projects, establishes checkpoints around energy and environmental impacts, and convenes a new “rapid response” AI task force.
Touted as the “most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability framework in the country,” Executive Order 22 bans nondisclosure agreements by state agencies or employees, eliminates “by-right” approvals in favor of requiring public hearing and approval processes for projects that generate over 25 megawatts of power, and requires centers to contribute a “more equitable share” of electric costs.
As opposition to data centers continues to mount nationwide, some unexpected alliances have emerged.
Just two days after democratic socialist Bernie Sanders shared a stage with right-wing strategist Steve Bannon, a grassroots conservative organization led by the self-proclaimed “founder of the modern day Tea Party” will stop in solidly blue Fairfax County as part of a national “Data Center Revolt” bus tour.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) and his three challengers expressed wariness of data centers and artificial intelligence in a recent debate that kicked off the eight-week sprint to Election Day.
But several of the contenders also warned against rushed efforts to corral the emerging technology at the expense of the good it could provide.
The Washington region will likely fall well short of its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the rise of data centers is the prime culprit.
With just four years to go, the region is less than halfway toward meeting agreed-upon emissions reduction targets by 2030, according to new data presented by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) on Wednesday (Sept. 9).
A Fairfax County legislator on Sept. 1 was honored by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters for his work on clean energy legislation and addressing the impacts of data centers.
Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) was one of six General Assembly members awarded by the group for their legislative leadership during the 2026 session.
