Old Dominion News

Amidst crucial statewide elections in Virginia, which was largely focused on the issues of crime and abortion, data center development was a top issue for many voters in Northern Virginia, especially in Prince William County. This comes amid reports that the centers consume large amounts of power and Amazon's removal from a science initiative for failing to meet emissions targets. Of the fourteen candidates running for seats on the Prince William County board, eight confirmed their opposition to all five of the unresolved data center projects in the county.

According to a report by Commercial Observer, Virginia is home to nearly 300 data centers, through which 70 percent of the world's internet traffic flows. "Virginia is home to 35 percent of the world's hyperscale data centers", said Commercial Observer.

The same report noted that data centers use between 10 and 50 times as much energy as a typical office building. It also projected that these facilities will use 10 gigawatts of power in Virginia by 2035, marking a significant increase from last year's consumption of 2.67 gigawatts.

The allure of these structures for localities is increased revenue. Yet concerns have arisen from local communities and environmental groups about potential impacts such as excessive power and water usage and their size.

A recent poll highlighted by DCist found that most voters in Northern Virginia believe current zoning laws should not be altered to accommodate data center development near parks. A majority would support legislation preventing these facilities' construction within a mile of national or state parks or historically significant locations.

Despite Amazon’s public commitment to green energy, The Oregonian reported its resistance to an Oregon climate bill. It further revealed that Amazon’s data centers primarily rely on carbon-burning fuel sources for electricity leading to an alarming increase in emissions per megawatt hour since 2010.

Property tax exemptions saved Amazon millions last year on its Oregon-based data centers according to The Oregonian. Moreover, Business Insider reported that Amazon has built a "data center empire" in Northern Virginia, consuming as much energy as a major city.

The Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, during a meeting in Fredericksburg, presented data showing that an average data center's electrical consumption equals that of 50,000 homes. It also highlighted that these facilities account for 3% of the world's energy usage and a staggering 22% of Dominion Virginia's energy.

An Atlantic article stated, “When Bezos compares cloud infrastructure to the power grid, he obscures the fact that data centers aren’t exactly analogous to electricity so much as they’re dependent on it,”

A report projected Amazon as one of the top carbon-emitting companies. The tech giant released 71.27 million metric tons of CO2 in 2022 alone.

National Parks Conservation Association's report shed light on proposed plans to construct a data center near Prince William Forest Park which could disrupt this protected space and potentially contaminate Occoquan Reservoir, affecting water supply for 800,000 NOVA residents.

Amazon was dropped from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for not committing to a viable goal to reduce its carbon emissions according to DC Business Daily. Amazon had pledged in 2019 to eliminate or offset carbon emissions by 2040 and joined SBTi in 2020 to help track progress towards this goal.

Eight candidates - two Democrats and six Republicans - running for seats on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors opposed unresolved data center projects within the county reported by Prince William Times. They included Deshundra Jefferson, Jim Gehlsen, Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, Tom Gordy, Supervisor Yesli Vega, Supervisor Bob Weir, Verndell Robinson, and Jeannie LaCroix.

According to VPAP.org Vega (R) and Weir (R) were re-elected while Jefferson (D) defeated Lawson (R) and Gordy (R) defeated Gehlson (D).