Data centers expand in Chesterfield County
TL;DR: Google is building three massive data center campuses across Chesterfield County as part of a $9 billion Virginia investment, sparking resident concerns over water usage, energy costs, environmental impact, and lack of transparency.
Quick facts
- Who: Google; Chesterfield County residents and government
- What: Three Google data center campuses (Projects Peanut, Skye, and Loch) under construction or planned spanning 1,500 acres across the county
- When: Project Peanut construction underway; Project Loch site plan filed; Project Skye slated for 2028
- Where: Chesterfield County, Virginia (Bermuda Hundred Road, Genito Road/Moseley Road area, and Route 288 corridor)
The story
Google is building three major data center campuses across Chesterfield County as part of a $9 billion investment in Virginia's artificial intelligence infrastructure through the end of 2026. The three projects, known as Project Peanut, Project Skye, and Project Loch, collectively span approximately 1,500 acres and represent the largest capital investment in county history.
Project Peanut, the most advanced of the three, is located on a 300-acre site at Bermuda Hundred Road next to Meadowville Technology Park. The facility will contain nearly 856,000 square feet of data infrastructure and construction is already underway, with completion expected within 18 to 24 months. Project Peanut will consist of three buildings designed to house data processing equipment.
Project Loch encompasses 334 acres near Watkins Centre Parkway at the intersection of Route 288 and Route 60, between Otterdale Road and Old Hundred Road. It will consist of three data center buildings.
Project Skye is the largest, spanning 887.7 acres on land south of Genito Road, east of Moseley Road, and north of Duval Road. The project will include five data center buildings, three electrical substations, parking facilities, roads, utilities, and stormwater management infrastructure. Project Skye is slated to go online by 2028 and could be expanded through 2029.
Google has committed to operating on 24/7 carbon-free power and has pledged to purchase 200 megawatts from Commonwealth Fusion Systems' planned commercial fusion plant in Chesterfield, according to county officials.
However, the expansion has prompted significant resident concerns. Residents have raised questions about water usage, particularly because Google declined to disclose how much water the facilities will consume. The concern is heightened given that the county issued a voluntary water conservation request on July 1, 2026 amid drought conditions. A proposed Google data center in neighboring Botetourt County was initially projected to consume one to two million gallons per day, but FOIA records later revealed projections as high as 11 to 12 million gallons per day. Project Skye is expected to impact over 20 acres of wetlands and approximately 8,000 feet of streams.
Residents have also expressed concerns about rising electricity costs, air quality impacts from diesel generators, and potential impacts on Chesterfield's rural character. As data centers expand across the region, the cost of new power plants and transmission lines is expected to increase electricity bills for all county residents, not just the data center operators.
A major source of resident frustration centers on transparency. County supervisors approved the three projects via public votes while using nondisclosure agreements that prevented disclosure of Google's involvement until after the votes occurred. Residents have called for dedicated community meetings with Google representatives and direct answers from elected officials.
In response to growing data center development, Chesterfield County implemented new zoning regulations effective January 1, 2026, that require all new data center projects to obtain a conditional use permit and undergo a case-by-case review by the Board of Supervisors rather than being permitted automatically. This gives the county more authority to evaluate future projects, though some developers have challenged the requirement in appeals that have been rejected by the county's zoning appeals board.
Key players
- Google: Tech company developing three data center campuses and investing $9 billion across Virginia
- Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors: Government body approving data center projects via conditional use permits
- Chesterfield County residents: Community members raising environmental, water, and transparency concerns about projects
Key dates
- 2025-01-01: New conditional use permit requirement for data center projects takes effect
- 2026-07-01: Chesterfield County issues voluntary water conservation request amid drought
- 2026: Project Peanut construction underway; completion expected within 18-24 months
- 2028: Project Skye data center campus scheduled to go online
- 2029: Google data center campus expansion period expected to conclude
The case for
Data centers represent transformational economic investment for Chesterfield County. The three Google projects will generate millions in annual local tax revenue and attract high-tech industry to the region. Google's commitment to carbon-free power and renewable energy partnerships positions the county as an environmental leader in data center operations. The facilities will create construction jobs and long-term employment opportunities in the technology sector.
The case against
Massive data center expansion threatens Chesterfield's rural character and natural resources while costs are borne primarily by residents. The facilities will consume extraordinary amounts of water during drought conditions, potentially straining county water resources and raising rates for residents. Environmental impacts including wetland loss, stream degradation, and air quality concerns from diesel generators are permanent. Electricity costs for all residents will rise to support the infrastructure needed for these facilities. The lack of transparency in approving the projects and nondisclosure agreements that kept residents in the dark about Google's involvement undermines democratic decision-making. Residents bore no burden in this decision-making process but will face its consequences.
Why it matters: Google's data center expansion represents one of the largest capital investments ever made in Chesterfield County, reshaping the region's economic and environmental future. Residents will experience direct impacts ranging from higher electricity costs to potential water scarcity, while the decision-making process involved limited community input and transparency. How the county manages this growth will set precedent for future large-scale industrial development and determine whether economic benefits can be balanced with environmental protection and quality of life for county residents.
Places
- Bermuda Hundred Road
- Meadowville Technology Park
- Watkins Centre Parkway
- Route 288
- Route 60
- Moseley Road
- Genito Road
- Otterdale Road
Development timeline
- 2025-08-27Google announces $9 billion Virginia investment with new Chesterfield data center campus: Google unveiled plans for three massive data center campuses across Chesterfield County as part of major capital investment [[source]](https://richmondbizsense.com/2025/08/27/breaking-news-google-planning-chesterfield-data-center-as-part-of-9b-expansion-in-virginia/)
- 2026-01-01Chesterfield County conditional use permit requirement takes effect: New zoning regulations requiring case-by-case Board of Supervisors approval for all new data center projects become effective [[source]](https://richmondbizsense.com/2026/03/09/developer-appealing-permit-requirement-for-data-center-project-in-chesterfield/)
- 2026-06-26Residents raise concerns about data center development in Chesterfield: Community members speak out about environmental impacts, water usage, and lack of transparency in approval process [[source]](https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/06/26/people-raise-concerns-about-data-center-development-chesterfield/)
- 2026-07-01Chesterfield County issues voluntary water conservation request: County asks residents to voluntarily conserve water amid drought, raising concerns about data center water usage [[source]](https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/residents-speak-out-on-data-centers-june-24-2026)
- 2026-07-15Google holds open house on data center project: Hundreds of residents attend community event but say questions about water usage, environmental impact remain unanswered [[source]](https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/google-data-center-open-house-july-15-2026)
Related links
- Chesterfield County Government on Google Data Center Investment
- Google announces $9 billion Virginia investment including Chesterfield data centers (WRIC ABC 8News)
- Data Center Tracker - The Chesterfield Report
Read the original at Google News: Chesterfield County →
Sources
- Chesterfield County Government Newsflash on Google Data Center Investment
- WRIC ABC 8News - Google announces new data center in Chesterfield
- Richmond BizSense - Google planning Chesterfield data center as part of $9B expansion
- 12 On Your Side - People raise concerns about data center development
- WTVR - Google data center open house leaves questions unanswered
- The Chesterfield Report - Data Center Tracker