8-22-2026 11:47am

Data Centers Take Center Stage at Fredericksburg Forum

John Williams Editor

by John L Williams, Editor of The Spotsylvania Gazette

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Data Centers Take Center Stage at Fredericksburg Forum

About 150 Fredericksburg-area residents gathered Thursday night at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Fredericksburg Branch for a community forum focused on one of the region’s most contentious development issues: the future of data centers in Central Virginia.

The forum brought together environmental activists, a Virginia lawmaker and residents concerned about the rapid expansion of the data-center industry across the region.

Who attended?

The featured panel included:

Del. Joshua Cole, Democrat representing Virginia’s 65th House District, which includes Fredericksburg and portions of Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
Tim Cywinski, communications director for the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter.
Elena Schlossberg, director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County.
Approximately 150 residents and community members attended the discussion.

The event was the third forum in recent months organized by the Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition, Climate Action Project and Rappahannock Group Sierra Club.

Cole moves closer to supporting a moratorium

One of the most significant developments came from Del. Cole, who said he is now about 90% opposed to data centers and is seriously considering supporting a statewide moratorium during the 2027 General Assembly session.

Cole said he has spent months listening to constituents and studying the issue. He acknowledged that he previously viewed data centers primarily as a local-government issue, but said local officials are increasingly telling state lawmakers that they need help.

“I am almost behind a statewide moratorium on data centers,” Cole told the audience.

Cole said he expects to begin discussing potential legislation with his legislative assistant and plans to release his legislative agenda in September or October.

Sierra Club calls for a pause

Cywinski and Schlossberg argued that Virginia’s data-center expansion has moved too quickly and that stronger statewide safeguards are needed before additional projects are approved.

Cywinski said Virginia currently has 666 operational and proposed data centers, making the Commonwealth a global leader in data-center development. He also pointed to the concentration of projects closer to the Fredericksburg region as development moves south from Northern Virginia.

Schlossberg called for the General Assembly to enact a moratorium while lawmakers establish stronger protections.

Water and electricity concerns

Water and electricity emerged as two of the central concerns during the discussion.

Cole expressed concern about groundwater availability and the amount of electricity required by large data-center campuses. He also questioned whether residents are ultimately being asked to shoulder some of the industry’s infrastructure costs through their utility bills.

He argued that data centers should be required to bring their own energy and pay their fair share of the electrical grid.

The issue is particularly significant locally. Stafford and Spotsylvania each have 18 data-center projects that are either under construction, approved or awaiting various local approvals, according to information presented at the forum.

Why this matters to Spotsylvania

The debate comes as Spotsylvania County itself has been reconsidering its approach to data-center development.

County supervisors have already tightened local requirements, including requiring a Special Use Permit for all new data-center development and imposing restrictions involving water and noise. Eight data centers have been approved in the county, while additional applications remain in the pipeline.

Battlefield District Supervisor Chris Yakabouski has also proposed that Spotsylvania support state Sen. Glen Sturtevant’s call for a statewide moratorium. Supervisor David Goosman has indicated support as well.

That puts Spotsylvania at an important crossroads: the county has benefited from the economic-development potential of the industry, but elected officials and residents are increasingly debating whether the costs to the electrical grid, water resources and surrounding communities are becoming too great.

A regional debate that is only beginning

Thursday night’s forum demonstrated that the data-center debate has moved beyond individual rezoning and special-use applications. It is increasingly becoming a statewide policy issue involving energy, water, environmental protection, taxation, economic development and public transparency.

Cole also raised concerns about non-disclosure agreements, arguing that the public should have access to information about proposed projects’ energy requirements, water use and design plans.

For Fredericksburg, Stafford and especially Spotsylvania, the question now is not simply whether data centers will be built.

It is how many will be built, who will pay for the infrastructure they require, and what limits—if any—the state and local governments will impose on the industry.

The debate is likely to intensify as the 2027 Virginia General Assembly session approaches

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