#1
US Data Center Market
3,000+
MW Data Center Load
~12¢/kWh
Avg. Retail Rate
PJM
Grid Operator
Data Center Alley
Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley", centered on Loudoun County, hosts the world's largest concentration of data centers. The region's proximity to Washington D.C., abundant fiber connectivity, and favorable business climate made it the epicenter of the internet. But explosive growth has triggered unprecedented community opposition.
Opposition Hotspot
Virginia leads the nation in data center opposition activity. Multiple counties have tightened zoning, and billions in projects face legal challenges.
Data Center Landscape
Key Markets
- Loudoun County, World's largest concentration
- Prince William County, Major expansion target
- Fairfax County, Established enterprise presence
- Henrico County (Richmond), Emerging market
- Virginia Beach, Subsea cable landing
Market Dynamics
- Tightest market in North America
- Vacancy near zero in NoVA
- Power constraints limiting new development
- Dominion queue: 70,000 MW requested, only 25,000 MW have set dates
- Developers looking to adjacent counties
Regulatory Environment
Recent Changes
Regulation has turned sharply against easy data center development:
- Loudoun eliminated by-right zoning (2025)
- Prince William facing multiple lawsuits
- Fairfax tightening approval process
- State legislature considering new oversight
- SCC scrutinizing Dominion infrastructure costs
State Policy
- Virginia Clean Economy Act (2020), 100% clean by 2045
- Data center tax incentives under scrutiny
- Property tax revenue vs. community impact debate
- Environmental review requirements increasing
- Historic preservation gaining influence
Power Infrastructure
Grid Challenges
Dominion Energy is struggling to keep pace with data center demand:
- 70,000 MW in interconnection queue — nearly tripled since Jan 2025
- Only 25,000 MW have set connection dates; 45,000 MW have none
- New GS-5 rate class (Nov 2025): data centers fund their own infrastructure
- Proposed 765-kV Valley Link line faces 2,800-member opposition campaign
- Residential rates up 267% over 5 years in some areas of Northern Virginia
- $64.7B capex plan 2026–2030; $17B specifically for data center infrastructure
Generation Mix
- Nuclear: ~30% (Surry, North Anna)
- Natural Gas: ~45%
- Coal: ~10% (declining)
- Renewables: ~10% (growing)
- Offshore wind: Under development
Key Players
| Category | Major Players |
|---|---|
| Utility | Dominion Energy (primary), Appalachian Power |
| Data Centers | QTS, Digital Realty, Equinix, CyrusOne, Compass, CloudHQ |
| Hyperscalers | AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Meta, Oracle |
| Opposition | American Battlefield Trust, Coalition to Protect PWC, Save Bren Mar |
Opportunities & Risks
Opportunities
- Unmatched connectivity and fiber
- Proximity to federal customers
- Established ecosystem and talent
- Strong demand from hyperscalers
- Emerging markets in central/coastal VA
Risks
- Intense community opposition
- Power constraints and delays
- Regulatory uncertainty increasing
- Zoning restrictions tightening
- Historic preservation challenges
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Virginia Electric & Power Co
🏠 Residential
EV Residential Electric Vehicle Charging (Experimental) · Time-of-Use
4.93¢
kWh
🏢 Commercial
County, Municipal, or Housing Authority Schedule 30 · Time-of-Use
9.73¢
≤ 800 kWh
9.66¢
≤ 3,000 kWh
7.63¢
All remaining
🏭 Industrial
Large General (Primary) Schedule 6P · Time-of-Use
3.91¢
kWh
4.28
Annual GHI
kWh/m²/day
4.16
Annual DNI
kWh/m²/day
95%
vs National Avg
(4.5 kWh/m²/day)
Monthly GHI (kWh/m²/day)
Measured at Virginia Beach
2,033
EV Stations
6,536
Charging Ports
Alternative Fuel Stations
25
⛽ CNG
2
🧊 LNG
83
🔥 LPG
2
💧 Hydrogen
103
🌽 E85
12
🌿 Biodiesel