More pushback against new data centers across DMV

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Pushback against new data center development is growing across the D.C. region, with the latest unfolding in Alexandria, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Montgomery County approves moratorium

What we know:

In Montgomery County, the council voted Tuesday to pass a bill that pauses new data center permits for 18 months. 

County leaders say the temporary ban will give them time to establish stricter zoning rules. Council members emphasized that the year-and-a-half hold is necessary to study potential placement and evaluate how these facilities impact surrounding neighborhoods, the local energy grid, and the environment.

While environmentalists and local supporters welcomed the move, the industry group Data Center Coalition criticized the decision, arguing it hangs a "closed for business" sign on the county and cuts off valuable revenue. The group noted that data centers contribute $11.4 billion to Maryland's economy and $1 billion locally toward schools, transportation, and public safety.

The measure will take effect immediately after it is signed by the county executive.

Prince George’s and Frederick counties have already enacted similar measures.

Alexandria residents against proposed data center

Residents in Alexandria organized against a proposed data center project and the electric substation needed to power it. The effort comes as other jurisdictions move to slow or pause data center expansion.

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick visited Edsall Road, where the Plaza 500 property is slated for redevelopment. The site, once a distribution center, sits in an industrial zone near I‑495 but borders the Bren Mar neighborhood to the west. 

RELATED: Prince George’s planning board hearing to consider zoning changes for data centers

Developers have already filed permits to convert the property into a data center campus, a move local officials say is allowed under current zoning.

The project would also require a new electric substation. Residents say blocking that land use approval is their best chance to halt the development, and they plan to petition Fairfax County to deny it.

Dominion Energy briefed the Land Use Advisory Committee Tuesday night on its proposed substation. During the meeting, the crowd was so large that some residents were forced to stand outside the room just to hear the discussion.

A central point of outrage for neighbors is the proximity of the proposed facility to residential neighborhoods. Dominion Energy acknowledged that the substation could be built as close as 300 feet from local homes.

Residents argued that the public was not given adequate input on the proposal, and raised concerns about impacts on health, safety and the environment. 

While the substation has already cleared approval by the State Corporation Commission, it must still go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission.

During Tuesday night's briefing, Dominion Energy addressed the underlying necessity for the substation, citing an "existing need," though several board members from the Land Use Committee sided with concerned residents.

The Mason District Land Use Advisory Committee is expected to hold a vote on the matter on September 22.

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