Virginia: Virginia’s Fauquier County adopts policies curbing data centers

Virginia's Fauquier County Board of Supervisors has approved a set of policies designed to curb data center developments in the area. These guidelines have been put in place to protect the county's rural character, the health and welfare of its citizens, as well as the value of the residential areas and farmland as reported by the Fauquier Times.

Country officials, real estate representatives and representatives from citizen organizations concerned about the spread of data centers came together to develop these guidelines. Though they are not legally enforceable, they will set expectations for data center developers and may hinder the success of applications. Supervisor Rick Gerhardt mentioned during the supervisors’ meeting, “Not everybody’s happy with this. There are groups on both sides of it who aren’t pleased. That’s what makes it good.”

Protect Fauquier’s executive board wrote in an email to supervisors, “On balance, we believe the policy statement is a very helpful document. There are multiple data center proposals before the county, so there is a need to strengthen policy expectations now.”