FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA – Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez is calling on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject Dominion Energy's application to build a new electrical substation and associated transmission infrastructure to support a proposed data center on Edsall Road.
Jimenez joins the Alexandria city government and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA8) in urging the commission to reject the proposal.
In his statement, Jimenez said, "Reliable electric service is essential, and I recognize the need to invest in infrastructure that supports our growing region. But that responsibility must be balanced with our obligation to protect the neighborhoods where people live, raise families, and build their communities. … The people who live in these neighborhoods should not be asked to accept a project of this magnitude unless every reasonable alternative has been fully explored."
The proposed data center is a project by Starwood Capital Group planned for 6295 Edsall Road in Lincolnia, Fairfax County, near the Alexandria city line. Many residents oppose the plan because of its proximity to their neighborhoods – the data center's substation would be within 100 feet of residential property.
The data center is allowed by right, but the county can reject the necessary substation. Virginia law requires public facilities, including electrical substations, to have a public hearing and review to determine their compatibility with area guidelines established in Fairfax County's Comprehensive Plan. The process is known as a Public Facilities 2232 Review.
This approval is what residents and neighborhood groups like the Save Bren Mar Coalition are opposing.
The Save Bren Mar Coalition argues that the data center and planned substation would be in some cases within less than 100 feet of residential property, far closer than any other data center allowed by the county.
The coalition writes that "This data center would be in the heart of our residential community – less than 215 ft. from residential property, and the new very large electrical substation will be less than 80 ft. away. It will have a negative impact on our community: creating noise and light disturbance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, requiring very high energy and water use, emitting potentially harmful pollutants, and impacting property values." They say it will drastically change their community and cut off access to future mixed use development.
Ultimately, Jimenez said, "We can meet our energy needs while also respecting the character of our neighborhoods. I do not believe this proposal, as currently presented, strikes that balance."
More than 100 residents attended an informational meeting between Dominion Energy and the Mason District Land Use Committee on July 28 to hear the company's plans and express their concerns about the substation. Residents shared photos of a standing-room-only gathering.
Fairfax County's Mason District Land Use Committee is scheduled to make its recommendation on the substation on Sept. 22, with a full Planning Commission hearing and a formal decision scheduled for Sept. 24.
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