Just for the fun of it, lets consider where in Augusta County a hyperscale data center or possibly centers will be located.
Looking at a map, my first thought is somewhere in Fishersville or slightly south of that, as the electrical transmission lines are located there. The area around the Amazon distribution center is already zoned for commercial development, so a data center should have no problem getting approval.
Or possibly out near the landfill; i.e. the Barterbrook area, which is rural enough to be away from populated areas but still has good access by road.
Of course, there is no guarantee that a data center won’t be built near a populated area, as they’ve already built them adjacent to residential neighborhoods in Northern Virginia.
It takes engineers and computer specialists to operate a data center, so in addition to being far enough away from residential areas, it should also be close enough to a city to attract those professionals. Therefore, another potential location is in and around Churchville, which is rural and yet close to Staunton.
I don’t think the data center(s) will have any problem acquiring land, as it will be difficult for large landowners, especially farmers, to turn away a multimillion-dollar offer. And while they may have qualms about the sale, they’re smart enough to know that if they don’t sell, surely one of their neighbors will.
Data centers suck up water, which will have a significant environmental impact as the Shenandoah Valley primarily gets its water from underground aquafers. They’re already experiencing problems with the ground water supply in the eastern part of the state, so it’s unrealistic to think that data centers won’t have a similar effect here. And it’s hard to imagine a data center expecting to fulfill its water supply needs by tapping into the South River, which is not much more than a big creek for much of its slow meandering path.
Fortunately, as we’ve seen with the Northrop Grumman hearings, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality shouldn’t have much of a problem approving a data center, especially if Republicans retain control of Congress, as they oppose a moratorium on construction and do not want to regulate the industry.
About two-thirds of Americans do not want a data center built in their area. Surprisingly, the strongest opposition appears to come from conservatives, as 71% of registered voters opposed construction, according to an October survey conducted by Fox News. The reasons Americans oppose data centers include environmental impact, water use, higher utility bills, noise, strain on the electrical grid, and distrust of technology companies.
If, when, and how a data center or centers will come to Augusta County depends on voters. Beth Macy has been firm about supporting a moratorium and regulating the industry. Ben Cline was recently in California courting Silicon Valley for donations in return for making it easy for the industry to build data centers in Virginia’s Sixth District. And Cline has refused to debate Macy on this and other issues. Hopefully, voters will consider this information when choosing their next representative.
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