Campbell County supervisors have voted 5-2 against a proposal to build a new data center in the Concord area — a decision that stands in stark contrast to neighboring Botetourt County’s ongoing preparations for a potential Google facility that could consume millions of gallons of water daily.
The Tuesday night vote in Campbell County came after significant community opposition to the Mesh Capital LLC project, which residents feared would strain local water supplies and increase electricity costs.
“This question is about are we going to protect the Concord community from a potential data center or other egregious industries that are outside of the state plan? I believe we should,” said Concord District Supervisor Matt Cline, who made the motion to deny the project.
Contrasting county approaches to data centers
The Campbell decision highlights the divergent approaches regional governments are taking toward data centers, which require substantial water for cooling and electricity for operations.
While Campbell County rejected a facility that could have used up to a million gallons of water daily, Botetourt County is moving forward with water infrastructure plans for what could become Western Virginia’s first “hyperscale” data center after Google purchased 312 acres in the Greenfield industrial park this summer.
According to documents obtained by The Roanoke Rambler, the Western Virginia Water Authority board is preparing to vote on an agreement that could ultimately require up to $300 million in water infrastructure improvements to support the Google project.
Roanoke officials have indicated the facility could eventually require as much as 8 million gallons of water daily from Carvins Cove, making it approximately 30 times larger than the regional water authority’s current largest customer.
Residents voice resource concerns
Sandy Glass, a lifelong Campbell County resident, expressed relief at her county’s decision while raising broader concerns about data center development.
“I’m definitely pleased that the citizens of the area are protected. I think the bigger issue here is data centers moving forward in Campbell County. There’s a significant drain on resources such as water and electricity,” Glass told WDBJ-7.
Two petitions opposing the Campbell County project gathered more than 600 signatures before Tuesday’s vote.
Regulatory oversight questions emerge
The Campbell County debate has also raised questions about how much control local governments should have over data center development. Some residents are now pushing for stronger oversight mechanisms.
“Data centers can build by right, and I think that’s an issue that needs to be addressed because right now the board has no oversight or authority over data centers. And that effectively silences the public’s opinion of where these data centers are established,” Glass said.
During the Campbell meeting, Supervisor Jon Hardie suggested requiring special use permits for any data center project regardless of zoning designation, though that motion was denied.
Regional water supply implications
The contrasting county decisions come as the Western Virginia Water Authority weighs complex arrangements to support Botetourt’s potential Google facility.
Mike McEvoy, the water authority’s executive director, has indicated more than a dozen options are being considered — from raising the dam height at Carvins Cove to increase capacity, to building a new reservoir, to using wastewater for cooling purposes.
A draft agreement between Botetourt and the water authority describes the development of a new water supply source as “a lengthy and costly project,” with Botetourt potentially paying up to $200 million if the project reaches $300 million in total costs.
While Campbell County has put the brakes on one data center proposal, Botetourt County appears committed to moving forward with preparations for Google’s potential facility, setting up what could become a regional case study in balancing economic development with resource conservation.
