Prince William supervisors debate tighter controls, mapping and incentives for data center growth

Christina Wynne, economic development, told the Board of County Supervisors on Oct. 14 that the county can shift from recruiting every project to “strategic management” of data centers, and asked the board for direction on where Prince William County should position itself in the next phase of the industry.

The discussion, led by Wade Hu, deputy county executive for mobility, economic growth and resiliency, and Tanya Washington, director of the planning office, reviewed two decades of data center growth, new reporting from EnerGov about permitted and built facilities, and a range of land-use and regulatory options ranging from preserving the existing overlay district to eliminating it and requiring special-use permits.

The presentation aimed to give supervisors a factual baseline and options: why the overlay was created in 2016, how developers have assembled land and pushed projects beyond the overlay, and what tools exist now to steer future projects. Christina Wynne said, “The purpose of really today's work session is simple: we are hoping to have a grounded forward-looking discussion where Prince William County wants to go with data center development.”

Why it matters

Data centers are now a major land- and power-intensive industrial use in Prince William County. Staff said better data is helping the county assess how much built and permitted capacity exists and where pressure on industrial land and on surrounding neighborhoods and infrastructure is greatest. Tanya Washington reminded supervisors that the overlay’s original goals included focusing development near existing power…