Loudoun County data center reforms and planning update

PEC is calling for reforms to Loudoun County’s data center policy and describing the county’s long-running data center buildout and upcoming 2026 planning decisions.

• The article urges a statewide moratorium, stronger county oversight, more transparency, and resident protections for data centers, including updated noise rules, screening and setbacks, limits on onsite generation, public inventories, and fair cost allocation for transmission and generation.
• It says Loudoun County has already begun a two-phase Data Center Standards & Locations process; phase one ended by-right approvals in March 2025, and phase two is ongoing. It also lists upcoming Planning Commission and Board actions in July and October 2026 for specific proposals.
• The piece provides historical context for Loudoun’s data center growth, citing the 1993 MAE-East hub, 1997 first data center, 2008 sales tax exemption, and county demand reaching 5.33 GW by 2025. It also says data centers generated 38% of General Fund revenue and that the state tax exemption cost $1.9 billion this past year.