Campbell County, VA is moving to make data centers a special-use, not by-right, use in heavy industrial zones, forcing every new project through a political approval process.
This shift is driven by resident concerns over power loads, electricity rates, water use, and rural character, all of which directly affect the feasibility and operating profile of large AI-ready facilities.
Two proposed data centers are effectively grandfathered in as by-right projects, highlighting how fast local rules are tightening relative to existing AI and cloud build plans.
With statewide attempts to curb data centers stalled, Virginia localities like Campbell now control siting risk, adding another layer of fragmentation for GPU and AI infrastructure deployment.
For operators, this means more timeline uncertainty, higher entitlement risk, and potentially tougher negotiations on energy, cooling, and community impact before locking in power-hungry AI builds.
The article is worth reading for anyone modeling Virginia data center strategy and local permitting risk for GPU-heavy AI infrastructure.
Source: Data center zoning amendment up for final approval in Campbell County – Cardinal News
