News & Analysis as of

Data Centers Zoning Laws

Husch Blackwell LLP

Balancing Old and New: Developing Renewable Energy Projects and Data Centers on Oil and Gas Sites

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Texas has been the top oil and gas producing state in the country since at least the 1970s, today contributing 42% of the nation’s crude oil and 27% of its natural gas. Now, the Lone Star State is also experiencing a boom in...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Loudoun County Eliminates By-Right Use for Data Centers, Increasing Development Hurdles

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At its March 18, 2025, business meeting, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 7-2 to approve a Zoning Ordinance amendment making data centers a special exception use in zoning districts in which they were previously...more

McGuireWoods Consulting

2025 Data Center Policy Report

House Bill 1601/Senate Bill 1449 – Requires Virginia localities to have any application for a rezoning, special exception, or special use permit from a High Energy Use Facility (HEUF) (which is defined as a facility that will...more

Williams Mullen

2025 Virginia General Assembly Summary of Energy & Data Center Bills

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After a very busy six weeks, the 2025 Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die on February 22, 2025. This was the 406th Session of the Virginia General Assembly and was considered a “short session”....more

Allen Matkins

Forget Tempered Optimism – Industrial’s Outlook is Positive

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The industrial development pipeline in Northern California shows a notable uptick in the next 12 months, highlighting continued strength in the sector there, particularly for last-mile delivery and AI-driven facilities....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Virginia’s Data Center Industry: A Look Back for Insight on Future Legislation

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Understanding the history of data centers in Virginia provides insight into how the General Assembly may manage the industry going forward, says McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president Preston Bryant in an article...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

[Webinar] Data Center Legal Issues - December 18th, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EST

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Join us for a Womble Bond Dickinson webinar tailored for private equity and data center professionals. Discover the latest legal insights and strategies to navigate the complex landscape. We will explore the critical legal...more

Pierce Atwood LLP

Massachusetts Governor Signs Mass Leads Act Promoting Clean Energy

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Zoning and Permitting Changes and a New Soccer Stadium on the Horizon - On November 20, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed The Mass Leads Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity, and protecting...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County Board Adopts Data Center Zoning Changes

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On Sept. 10, 2024, the Fairfax County, Virginia Board of Supervisors approved a zoning ordinance amendment that creates new restrictions for data centers. The amended ordinance permits by-right data center development in...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Demand for Data Center Projects Remains High Across Virginia With Varying Levels of Regulation

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Demand for data center development opportunities remains at unprecedented levels across Virginia. But how the industry is regulated by Virginia’s diverse cities and counties is not uniform....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Loudoun County, Va., Moves to Restrict Data Center Development

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Loudoun County, Va., joins a growing number of northern Virginia jurisdictions taking affirmative steps to restrict data center development. As the first part of a two-phase process, the board of supervisors voted to advance...more

McGuireWoods Consulting

Fairfax County, Virginia, to Prepare Data Center-Related Amendments to Zoning Ordinance • McGuireWoods

On March 19, 2024, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed Department of Planning and Development staff to update the county zoning ordinance with additional regulatory guidance for data center development. It is...more

Venable LLP

Fairfax County to Consider Zoning Changes Related to Future Data Center Development

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Fairfax County is in the process of amending its Zoning Ordinance provisions pertaining to data centers in response to the increasing presence of such facilities within the region....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County, Virginia, Posts Draft Zoning Ordinance Amendments for Data Centers

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Fairfax County, Virginia, recently released draft zoning ordinance text amendments to provide new regulations for data centers within the county. A link to the draft zoning ordinance amendments may be found here....more

Holland & Knight LLP

Fairfax County, Virginia, Proposes Updated Zoning Regulations Related to Data Centers

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In response to the direction issued on March 19, 2024, by the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia, the county's Department of Planning and Development recently released proposed text for a zoning ordinance...more

Cozen O'Connor

How Zoning Changes Will Impact Data Centers & the Energy Market

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The data center permitting and entitlement review process might be getting more difficult in Northern Virginia. Home to nearly 300 data centers, Northern Virginia has become known as “Data Center Alley.” Scattered across...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County, Virginia, to Prepare Data Center-Related Amendments to Zoning Ordinance

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On March 19, 2024, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed Department of Planning and Development staff to update the county zoning ordinance with additional regulatory guidance for data center development. It is...more

Venable LLP

Fauquier County's Board Implements New Data Center Development Policy Guidance

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On December 14, 2023, the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors adopted policy guidance for data center development. The Data Center Development Policy limits where data centers can be established and regulates various aspects...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Data Center Industry Sees Increased State-Level Legislative Efforts in Virginia

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Over the past year, local governments in Northern Virginia — including Fairfax County, Fauquier County, Caroline County and Spotsylvania County — have taken steps to enact, or begin the process of enacting, new and generally...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County, Virginia, Releases Updated Data Center Recommendations

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Fairfax County, Virginia, recently released updated recommendations for data center development in the county, including potential changes to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance standards for data center development....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fauquier County, Virginia, Sets New Guidelines for Data Centers

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The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors adopted guidelines to control new data center developments on Dec. 14, 2023. The policy is the product of collaboration between the county’s planning staff and a committee that met in...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Central Virginia Data Center Update

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The growing demand for data center space in Virginia increasingly has led the industry to locations outside northern Virginia. As a result, many central Virginia jurisdictions recently revised their planning and zoning...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County, Virginia, Launches Discussions of Data Center Changes

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Like many Virginia jurisdictions, Fairfax County is reevaluating how it regulates data centers. As part of the zMOD readoption, the Board of Supervisors authorized an evaluation of Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan and...more

McGuireWoods LLP

Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Also Addresses Development and Regulation of Data Centers

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On July 11, 2023, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors approved amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan to incorporate long-term planning goals for data center uses....more

McGuireWoods LLP

Fairfax County Anticipates Proposing Data Center Changes by End of 2023

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As highlighted in McGuireWoods’ May 10, 2023, alert, Fairfax County is undertaking a review of its data center regulations. On July 18, 2023, the Fairfax County Land Use Policy Committee added data centers to the FY 2024...more

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