Google Sets Two Community Meetings on Chesterfield Data Center Plans

TL;DR: Chesterfield County says Google will hold two open house-style community meetings, on July 15 and July 16, where residents can review the data center project plans and put questions about water, power, sound, and community benefits directly to company representatives.

The story

Chesterfield County residents will get two chances next week to question Google directly about the data center projects planned for the county.

The county announced the two sessions on its social media channels and is encouraging residents to turn out. It said it is sharing the information after county officials and staff received several inquiries about data center development in Chesterfield, and that the goal is to give residents opportunities to receive accurate information about Google's planned projects directly from company representatives.

The two meetings will run as open houses from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The first is Wednesday, July 15, at Hamel Hall, Room H109, on the Midlothian campus of Brightpoint Community College at 800 Charter Colony Parkway. The second is Thursday, July 16, in the cafeteria at Cosby High School, 14300 Fox Club Parkway.

At each meeting, residents can review project plans, learn more about infrastructure and sustainability initiatives, and get answers from subject matter experts. The county said Google representatives will be on hand to address key topics including water usage, power, sound, community benefits, and more.

For anyone who cannot attend, the county said information will be made available on Google's project website following the events.

Why it matters

The meetings come as Google builds out one of the largest data center footprints in Virginia. The company is behind a trio of Chesterfield campuses, part of a roughly $9 billion investment across the commonwealth, and the projects have drawn steady questions from residents about their demands on water and electricity, their noise, and what the county gets in return. Several of those details were sealed under nondisclosure agreements during the county's approvals, which is part of why direct answers from the company have been in demand.

You can follow the projects, the approvals, and the open questions on our data center tracker at chesterfieldreport.com/data-centers.html.