A pause in the heart of Data Center Alley

In a landmark shift, the Board of Supervisors voted 7–1–1 in September to draft a 12-month pause on new data center and substation applications, and is weighing removal of a by-right grandfather clause — in the county that built the industry. Grid reliability, transmission lines, and cumulative buildout drove the vote, and the board chair faces a primary challenge centered on data centers. The pause is effectively in force for board-approval applications; the formal vote, first set for October 20, was deferred to November 17 (Loudoun Times-Mirror).