Overview
- The 462-page Qualified Data Centers Report delivers 14 recommendations after a countywide review paused new projects in September.
- It would end permitted-by-right approvals and require special-exception or planned-development reviews with public notice and hearings, a process used in Loudoun and Fairfax counties.
- The recommendations steer facilities toward industrial sites, add protections for environmentally sensitive areas, and increase residential setbacks to 400 feet in most cases.
- Technical safeguards include pre-approval studies on power, water, wastewater, stormwater and emergency response, along with stricter noise limits and updated generator testing rules.
- The report proposes a high-energy-use surcharge intended to shield ratepayers, with a county council hearing expected in the coming weeks.