Residents Demand Greater Voice in Chesterfield Data Center Growth

TL;DR: Chesterfield County residents and advocacy groups are demanding more transparency and community input in decisions about rapidly expanding data center development in the county, citing concerns about rising utility costs and environmental impacts.

The story

Frustrated residents of Chesterfield County gathered on June 24 to voice their concerns about the explosive growth of data center development in the region, which has transformed 1,500 acres across multiple sites in less than two years. The Data Coalition for Chesterfield organized the meeting after months of escalating community alarm over decisions residents feel have been made without adequate public involvement. Attendees reported that household utility bills have already risen significantly because the county must now import energy to power the data center industry, and they criticized the lack of transparency about future projects.

The county's rapid pivot to data center development began in earnest last year, with Google's announcement of a $9 billion investment across three separate campuses. The largest project spans 300 acres at 2700 Bermuda Hundred Road near Meadowville Technology Park, where construction is already underway. Google also purchased an 880-acre property at Upper Magnolia Green and a 350-acre section at Watkins Centre South near Route 288. Beyond Google, other developers including Chirisa and American Real Estate Partners are planning additional data centers, bringing the total to over 15 facilities either operational or under construction in the county. The Board of Supervisors approved these projects after changing zoning ordinances in 2025, making data centers a conditional use rather than permitted by right, though residents argue the approvals still proceeded without sufficient community input.

Attendees at the June 24 meeting cited multiple impacts on quality of life. Beyond rising electricity rates, residents expressed concerns about water consumption for data center cooling systems, noise from industrial operations, and environmental impacts. Notably, no data center developers attended the meeting and no residents voiced support for the projects. Phillip Lohr of the Data Coalition stated plainly: "We're all here to let the board members know that we're dissatisfied with all the data centers coming to Chesterfield County." The timing of the residents' push for greater voice coincided with state-level pressure on data center taxation, with Senator Louise Lucas holding a data center listening tour in Chesterfield on June 16, drawing over 200 residents to debate the state's $2 billion annual data center tax exemption.

County officials and developers argue that data center projects bring jobs, infrastructure improvements, and tax revenue to the region. However, residents and advocacy groups contend that the benefits are unevenly distributed, with residents bearing the costs of increased utility demand while developers and the state benefit from tax incentives and economic activity. The Data Coalition plans to hold additional summer meetings to organize residents and push for greater input in future zoning and development decisions.

Key players

• Data Coalition for Chesterfield: Community advocacy group organizing resident opposition to data center expansion
• Phillip Lohr: Data Coalition for Chesterfield member expressing resident dissatisfaction
• Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors: Government body approving data center projects and setting zoning policy
• Google: Major data center developer investing $9 billion in three Chesterfield sites
• Dominion Energy: Utility provider warning of likely electricity rate increases

Key dates

• 2025-09-01: Board of Supervisors approved comprehensive zoning ordinance overhaul making data centers a conditional use
• 2026-01-01: New zoning ordinance took effect requiring conditional use approval for all new data center projects
• 2026-03-09: Developer filed appeal challenging permit requirements for data center project
• 2026-05-19: Google's second Chesterfield data center raised wetlands impact concerns
• 2026-06-03: Zoning Appeals Board denied appeal, upholding conditional use requirement for data centers
• 2026-06-16: Senator Louise Lucas hosted Data Center Listening Tour at Manchester Middle School with over 200 residents
• 2026-06-24: Data Coalition for Chesterfield held resident meeting to demand greater voice in data center decisions
• 2027-02-01: Planned start of $121 million transmission lines project (expected completion early June 2028)
• 2027-01-01: Expected completion of first Chirisa/American Real Estate Partners data center (started planning in early 2025)

Places

• Meadowville Technology Park
• Upper Magnolia Green
• Watkins Centre South
• Route 288
• Old Bermuda Hundred Road
• Manchester Middle School
• I-95

Related links

• Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors
• Chesterfield County Utilities Department
• Chesterfield County Planning Department
• Virginia Senate data center tax debate - Sen. Lucas

Read the original at WTVR CBS 6 Local →

Sources

• WTVR: Residents Speak Out on Data Centers
• WTVR: Virginia Senators Bring Data Center Tax Debate to Chesterfield
• VPM News: Google Data Centers in Chesterfield
• Data Center Dynamics: Chesterfield County Rezoning for Data Centers
• VPM News: Questions Remain Around Data Centers in Chesterfield County
• Virginia Business: Google Chesterfield Data Center Investment
• Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors