Note sull'episodio
Residents in Fredericksburg are spooked by a data center in Manassas — and the connection is closer than you think. On July 21, locals packed the Central Rappahannock Regional Library for a community forum titled “Are We the New Data Center Alley?” as massive server farms push south from Loudoun County through Prince William, Stafford, and beyond.
Virginia already hosts more than 600 data centers — more than any other place on Earth — and the industry keeps expanding. Officials love the promised millions in tax revenue for police, fire, and schools. But Manassas learned the hard way with the Brickyard project: when a bank leased space inside the facility, state law exempted those assets from BPOL taxes. The city lost out on several million dollars it thought was coming. Former Fredericksburg City Council member Matt Kelly warned the revenue is not stable and urged localities to earmark it for specific needs like housing instead of dumping it into the general fund. Homeowners, he noted, still end up paying when real estate tax rates adjust against rising assessments.
Water is the other pressure point. Data centers need enormous amounts of it for cooling. Governor Abigail Spanberger’s administration finally released a long-delayed report on the Eastern Coastal Plain Aquifer — six months late. The study shows groundwater east of I-95 is already constrained by population growth and industrial use. New data centers relying on evaporative cooling are unlikely to receive reliable permits in that region. Critics are asking why the report sat on a shelf while the state continues courting more facilities.
In Stafford County, a proposed data center near the Eskimo Hill Road landfill has raised questions about possible unmarked graves tied to enslaved people from 150 years ago. A member of the county’s historical commission alleged a cultural-resource staffer was told not to attend the public hearing. A FOIA request returned no records of any such order. A local resident later walked back related claims with an “if true” qualifier, leaving the controversy unresolved.
Also in this episode: efforts to launch formal slug lines on I-66 express lanes at the Monument Drive Garage in Fair Oaks and the University Boulevard Park and Ride in Gainesville, plus a look at stray animals currently at the Prince William County Animal Shelter.
Support Potomac Local News
Become a Member → https://potomaclocal.memberful.com/join
If you value independent local reporting that digs into the details local governments would rather leave quiet, become a member today. Your support keeps the lights on and the stories coming.
Follow Potomac Local News:
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@PotomacLocal
• X → https://x.com/PotomacLocal
• Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PotomacLocal