A Virginia county supervisor requested the Planning Commission reject a data center substation, signaling local-level resistance to AI infrastructure expansion.
Supervisor Andres Jimenez (D-Mason) has formally called on the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject the proposed Edsall Road electrical substation and related transmission infrastructure at Plaza 500, which Dominion Energy has proposed to support the power demands of planned data centers in the Lincolnia area. Jimenez shares concerns raised by nearby residents regarding the project's visual, noise, lighting, and environmental impacts, as well as apprehensions about expanding utility infrastructure in the region.
"Reliable electric service is essential, and I recognize the need to invest in infrastructure that supports our growing region," Jimenez said in a statement. "But that responsibility must be balanced with our obligation to protect the neighborhoods where people live, raise families, and build their communities."
In July, Starwood Capital Group submitted permit applications and building plans to Fairfax County for the first phase of two planned data centers at the Plaza 500 site, located at 6299 Edsall Road. The initial phase will consist of a 75-foot-tall data center spanning 226,469 square feet across the 34-acre property, which has historically housed a Social Security office and Smoot Lumber. Because the data center use qualifies as a by-right development under the county's zoning ordinance, opposition has concentrated on the substation review process.
Virginia's State Corporation Commission has already approved transmission lines connecting the proposed Edsall Road substation to the existing Van Dorn substation. However, the substation must still undergo a public facilities 2232 review by the Fairfax County Planning Commission, scheduled for 7 p.m. on September 24. According to the Save Bren Mar resident coalition opposing the data center, the substation would sit less than 100 feet from the nearest homes.
Jimenez has urged Dominion Energy to explore alternatives that balance infrastructure needs with the protection of established residential communities. "Our community supports a reliable electric grid, but reliability and thoughtful planning are not mutually exclusive," he 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."
The substation has drawn additional opposition from Representative Don Beyer (D-8) and the Alexandria City Council. Before the Planning Commission's September 24 hearing, the Mason District Land Use Committee will issue a recommendation on September 22, following a Dominion Energy presentation scheduled for July 28. Should the Planning Commission reject the substation, Dominion Energy retains the option to appeal to the Board of Supervisors.