Louisa County outlines water, power, noise and community impacts of planned AWS data centers

A Louisa County staff member outlined how two planned Amazon Web Services data center campuses would be cooled, connected to power, and regulated, and described local benefits and safeguards in a Citizens Academy video.

The county said AWS data centers will use nonpotable, untreated water for cooling and that private wells will serve the first development phase until the Louisa County Water Authority (LCWA) begins delivering cooling water in March 2027. "AWS is reimbursing the county for the full cost of the infrastructure," the presenter said.

County officials said Northeast Creek Reservoir will supply the cooling water and that studies under drought conditions show a "safe yield of millions of gallons per day." The presenter added that improvements in data‑center technology mean daily consumption projections are decreasing and that in times of unusually dry conditions data centers "will not receive favorable treatment"—they will face the same LCWA restrictions as other customers.

On power, the county said Dominion Energy and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) are expected to provide service and that upgrades to the grid are likely during development. The presenter emphasized that utilities or the data centers will be responsible for upgrade costs and noted that local electricity rates are regulated by the State Corporation Commission, not the county.

The county distinguished cooling approaches at different sites. At the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park, the presenter said Edgecore "will employ a closed loop air cooled system that uses very little water" and estimated an "equivalent usage to only 35 homes" at full buildout. County staff also said water‑cooled facilities generally use less power than air‑cooled ones.

Zoning and noise protections were highlighted: the AWS campuses are within Technology Overlay Districts (TODs), which the county described as its most restrictive development standards and which set a noise limit of 65 dBA at property lines adjacent to residential or agricultural land, "about the volume of a normal conversation." The presenter said TOD rules require substantial buffers and setbacks to mitigate sound.

The county addressed land use and community benefits. It estimated the county covers about 328,960 acres and said the two campuses total roughly 2,300 acres, about 0.007% of the county. The presenter said AWS "may donate 380 acres of land to the county within the North Creek Technology Campus" and that the county will hold community meetings to gather input on potential uses and how revenue might support county programs.

On transportation and construction, the presenter said roads were a major consideration in siting, cited an example road operating at about 13% of peak‑hour capacity today, and said the county and developers are working to divert construction traffic. A new public road is planned for phased access to the North Creek Technology Campus.

Economic development items included an estimate that jobs "vary based on the number of units built, but several hundred are likely at full build out," notice that Clark Construction is working on AWS sites, encouragement for local businesses to monitor solicitations, and interest expressed by AWS in collaborating with Louisa County Public Schools on CTE curriculum tied to data‑center operations and maintenance.

The county said project owners complied with Virginia Department of Historic Resources mitigation requirements and that permits from the Department of Historic Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been obtained for campuses and phases under construction. The presenter described a projected buildout of about 15 years that will depend on market demand.

Community meetings and online resources were presented as next steps; the video directed viewers to louisacounty.gov for more information.

The county's presentation was informational and did not record any formal vote or binding county action in the video.