Tag: data centers
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Amazon Data Centers Now Use Less Water
Plus, in Virginia they spawn tax cuts for homeowners. by Hans Bader Amazon’s data centers are using water more efficiently than in the past. A company report shows that “Amazon’s data centers used just 0.12 liters of water per kilowatt-hour of compute in 2025, about one-seventh of the industry average and less than half of Amazon’s rate…
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Don’t Let Data Centers Force a Virginia Government Shutdown
by David J. Toscano [FLASH: Rumors are now circulating that House and Senate negotiators may be close to a budget deal. That is good news, but it still must pass both bodies and be signed by the governor by June 30] Want a good example of the “tail wagging the dog?” Look no further that…
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The Technological Republic and the Re-Industrialization of America
Here’s a fact: the data center buildout is going to re-industrialize America. The sooner we embrace this reality; the sooner we reap the rewards. by Shaun Kenney Data centers have arrived and it’s about time they did — and it’s your fault, too. Well, not entirely your fault — but if you’re watching Netflix and…
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Ending Data Center Exemption – Wrong Policy, Wrong Time
by Chris Saxman Wise words from former Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte” In politics, timing is everything. Timing also matters when it comes to the economy. Virginia is approaching a pivotal moment in its economic strategy—and it is happening at exactly the wrong time. As global markets reassess the value of technology companies, one thing is becoming clear: the era of easy capital is…
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Data Centers – Lucy and the Football
by Chris Saxman Virginia’s proposed move to end its data center sales and use tax (SUT) exemption eight years early is less about policy and more about predictability —and what happens as a result. Two simple analogies bring this into focus: the neighborhood Happy Hour and the timeless scene of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. Happy Hour Imagine a…
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Data Center Showdown
Tuesday, February 24 was cold and blustery at the Arlington Courthouse, where the Court of Appeals was meeting. Welcome to the front lines of the “Third Battle of Manassas,” which has been going on for 3.5 years — just a few months less than the American Civil War. What’s at stake? The future of western…
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States Confront Rising Energy Costs
Data center demands create headaches for lawmakers by David J. Toscano As Donald Trump continues his campaign against offshore wind[1] and encourages the U.S. military to buy expensive, dirty coal[2], state governments are left to manage electricity affordability, reliability, and climate goals on their own. It is a delicate balance. Consumers naturally want lower rates and reliability.…
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Data Centers Provide Property Tax Relief for Homeowners
by Hans Bader Data centers cut property taxes on homeowners, by providing lots of additional property to tax. The more property there is to tax, the less tax needs to be imposed on each property. Data centers use very few government services (unlike homeowners, who use things like schools and parks), so data centers don’t…
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The Data Centers’ “Irreparable Harm” Sham
by Mac Haddow In Prince William County, the story of the PW Digital Gateway has become a master class in legal hypocrisy. After a complete examination of the evidence, Judge Kimberly A. Irving ruled that the Board of County Supervisors’ vote approving the massive data center corridor was void ab initio because the County failed…
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The Battle Lines Are Drawn in Manassas
by Chap Petersen On Monday, April 28, my legal team filed our appeal of the Prince William County Circuit Court’s October 31, 2024 ruling, which dismissed our lawsuit against the County Board of Supervisors for approving the Digital Gateway Project, permitting 37 massive data centers in the slice of agricultural land next to the Manassas…
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Data Centers Escape Assembly Session Unscathed
By Steve Haner Despite great public angst and political theater, the data center industry has emerged from the 2025 General Assembly unscathed. Virginians will continue to compete with Internet and cloud customers from all over the country and the world for electricity, as the data centers continue to proliferate here. One bill dealing with the…
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Who’s the Biggest Electricity Importer in the Country? Not California
by James A. Bacon Virginia is the biggest importer of electricity in the United States, according to a U.S. Energy Information Administration report released last month. The Old Dominion has surpassed California as the biggest consumer of electricity from other states. Imports into the Land of Nuts and Fruits declined due to heavy investment in…
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Political Polarization and Data Centers
by James A. Bacon The Town Council of Warrenton has big regrets after issuing a special-use permit allowing Amazon to build a data center in the town. Council finds itself embroiled in litigation from a citizen lawsuit to block the Amazon project as well as a FOIA request to release thousands of emails and documents,…
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Bacon Bits: The Irresistible Impulse to Regulate
If it moves, regulate it… Democrats and civil libertarians are gearing up to restrict the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) by law enforcement. A bill submitted by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, would restrict police use of the readers to specific instances such as missing person cases, outstanding warrants, human trafficking or…