Albemarle resident urges ban on data centers as county pauses ordinance amendment

Vincent Jackson, a Whitehall District resident, urged the Albemarle County Planning Commission on Oct. 14 to go further than the board of supervisors’ recent decision to pause a data center ordinance amendment. “Pausing the ordinance is good, but a ban on data centers is better,” Jackson said during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

Jackson said the amendment as drafted would “concede too much scope in the planning process to the data center developers,” and he objected to large buildings being allowed “by right.” He cited the ordinance’s proposed size thresholds for different tiers and raised concerns about energy and water use at large data campuses, saying federal standards do not explicitly regulate those operations. He referenced recent state-level action, saying that a governor’s veto affected “house bill 149 and house bill 1601 titled data centers site assessment for energy use,” and argued that responsibility had been pushed back to local governments like Albemarle County.

Why it matters: Jackson framed his comments as a warning about community impacts — higher utility bills and strained local infrastructure — if the county permits large data centers through by-right rules that limit discretionary review. He cited a long-standing industry example and claimed substantial water and energy consumption at that campus over time.

Details and context: Jackson pointed to what he described as scale examples for tiered buildings in the suspended amendment (he stated tier 1 at “125 square foot” and tier 2 at “500,000 square feet” in his remarks) and referenced a long-term example of expansion at a large data campus he identified as a comparison. He also said Dominion Energy is seeking increased residential rates to respond to large industrial users, which he said illustrates the potential local cost impacts.

What the commission heard: The commission opened the public-comment period at the start of the meeting; Jackson’s remarks took place before the scheduled public hearings. Commissioners did not take formal action on Jackson’s comments at that time. The record shows the county has paused the data-center ordinance amendment; Jackson urged the county to adopt a ban should the issue return to the board or commission.

Ending: The commission moved on to other public comments and agenda items after Jackson’s three-minute public-comment slot ended. Jackson’s remarks were recorded for the meeting record and will be part of the public hearing file if the ordinance is reintroduced.