Data Centers Update - BOS Meeting - August 26, 2026

The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors held a meeting on August 26, 2026, focused on providing an update about data center developments within the county. The discussion centered on zoning cases, economic development impacts, tax incentives, and community concerns related to data center construction and operation. County officials detailed the history of data center projects, including major investments like Google's $9 billion project, and explained recent zoning ordinance amendments that now require conditional use permits for new data centers, effectively limiting further development. The meeting also covered the county's tax rate structure, highlighting lowered tax rates on data center equipment as an incentive to attract these facilities, and the potential for significant real estate tax revenue from completed projects. This revenue is projected to shift the tax burden from residential to commercial taxpayers, potentially enabling reductions in personal property tax rates. The county emphasized ongoing community engagement, transparency, and plans to implement improved construction traffic management and decommissioning policies for data centers. No specific contract awards or vendor selections were discussed, but the meeting addressed policy and fiscal strategies affecting future procurement and development opportunities related to data centers.