Mapped: Virginia is still No. 1 for data centers
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Virginia is leading the country when it comes to data centers — both the number already operational and the tally of ones under construction or planned.
Why it matters: A year ago, data centers were barely on most Richmonders' radar. Now they're on everyone's mind as the region emerges as one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the country.
State of play: Virginia has 663 operational data centers and 595 more under construction or planned — the most in the U.S., per a new report.
- The report, from tech and pro-tech groups, focuses on the tax and jobs benefits for every state, and dubs the data center boom "America's fastest, broadest infrastructure build-out in peacetime history."
- AI is driving much of the new data center demand, and the market is expected to expand by 14% this year — and every year — for the rest of the decade, per a separate report from the real estate firm JLL.
Follow the money: Virginia data centers will generate nearly $4.2 billion in estimated tax revenue over the next decade, per the tech report.
The intrigue: Big tech is gung-ho on building as many centers as possible to generate revenue and power the AI boom — but they're fueling a major political fight, with locals pushing back.
The latest: Two new data centers for the region were announced just days into the new year, BizSense reported.
- Both are from Ireland-based digital infrastructure investor Chirisa and will rise in Chesterfield's Meadowville Technology Park, totaling around 380,000 square feet over 100 acres.
- That's about half the size of Google's massive "Project Peanut" data center that's in the works near the tech park.
- And they'll join Chirisa's existing data center campus in Meadowville.
What they're saying: "Richmond really has turned into a tier-one market. It's not far from D.C and Northern Virginia. ... It's definitely been a fantastic location for us," Chirisa's head of U.S. real estate, David Kelly, told BizSense.
What we're watching: The fate of any legislation to rein in data centers when Virginia's legislative session starts next week.