Prince William County, Virginia, Tightens Controls On New Data Center Projects

Prince William County in Northern Virginia is reducing “by-right” zoning for data center projects amid growing public opposition to AI infrastructure. County supervisors voted to shrink the Prince William data center opportunity zone overlay district, where qualifying data centers can currently be developed without additional official review. The change will reduce the district by about two-thirds, from 9,700 acres to 3,500 acres.

Developers have a 90-day grace period before the new rules take effect, potentially prompting a surge in data center construction during that period. Supervisors approved the changes on Tuesday, citing growing public concerns over data center power and water consumption.

“We’ve bent over backwards enough for this industry,” said Supervisor George Stewart, who represents Gainesville, in comments to the Prince William Times. “Now it’s time to stand up for the people that have to live with these monstrosities in their communities.”

Data centers will remain permitted in Prince William County, but projects outside the reduced overlay district will require the full permitting process.
The areas removed from the district include Jiffy Lube Live and the former Prince William Digital Gateway site, a gigawatt-scale QTS project that was canceled earlier this year following a lengthy legal battle. Prince William, Loudoun, and Fairfax counties form the core of Northern Virginia’s data center market. Last week, Loudoun County supervisors also approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications.