In September, I wrote to you about the explosive growth of Virginia’s data center industry and one of the side effects: a major push for new transmission lines.
Transmission
The Piedmont Environmental Council has some experience dealing with Dominion and transmission line proposals through our region. In 2006 and 2008, utilities proposed two unnecessary high-voltage transmission lines that would connect to the oldest and dirtiest coal-fired generation in the United States. Learn more about the TrAIL line (approved and built) and the PATH line (turned down). More recently, a series of projects has been proposed, each with its own set of details and impacts.
PEC Presentation on Planning for the Digital Age
In August, PEC’s Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse presented “Planning for the Digital Age” to the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Latest on Amazon’s data center in Warrenton
Since we last updated you on Amazon’s Warrenton data center, Amazon has spent these couple of months responding to the Town’s first round of comments on its initial site development plan.
The Environmental Footprint of the Digital Age
Virginia is subsidizing billions of dollars in data center development on the backs of its ratepayers, without a full understanding of the long-term ramifications.
Transmission Proposals – PEC Web Map
Transmission line proposals to serve the explosive growth of data centers in Virginia over the past few years have begun to roll in.
Copper Ridge Data Center Campus Heads to Town Council
On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the Planning Commission vote on Copper Ridge was tied 2-2, with one of the commissioners having recused himself. The data center campus rezoning now heads to the Town Council on Sept. 12 without a recommendation either way, and we are writing to ask you to weigh in with the Town Council before it votes.
Mitigating Data Center Development’s Impacts
Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, widely cited as hosting 70% of global internet traffic. This massive industry is continuing to grow very fast, requiring huge amounts of energy, land, and water to operate, resulting in widespread community impacts.
Town Planning Commission to Vote on Copper Ridge Data Center Campus on Aug. 15
The public hearing is still open for public comment!
Copper Ridge Data Center Rezoning Tabled Until August 15
The Town of Culpeper Planning Commission moved to hold any decision on the rezoning application until its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.
Updates on the Copper Ridge Data Center Campus proposal
On Thursday, June 29, the Town Planning Commission held a nearly two-hour-long work session reviewing new documents from the Copper Ridge Data Center Campus and questioning the applicant.