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Commissioners raise noise, power and decommissioning concerns after data‑center sessions
Summary
Commissioners described conference takeaways about data centers — loud cooling equipment, decommissioning challenges, and power/transmission constraints — and discussed local planning implications including power sourcing and potential on‑site generation.
Commissioners reported takeaways from an American Planning Association session on data centers and discussed local planning implications on Aug. 14. A commissioner summarized: "how noisy they were," and noted concerns about decommissioning and the complexity of bringing power to large data‑center sites.
County planning staff agreed that power and transmission are major issues for jurisdictions receiving data‑center growth and said conference presenters indicated much of the power serving Virginia’s centers was generated in West Virginia. Staff and commissioners also mentioned emerging on‑site generation options; one commissioner raised small modular nuclear plants as an example discussed at the conference.
The exchange was framed as a learning‑moment rather than a formal policy proposal; commissioners said counties north of Dinwiddie are actively adjusting zoning and review processes to address siting, noise and power distribution for data centers. Staff noted potential future agenda items including a solar project and cellular tower applications, both of which could come before the commission in the next few months.
