Loudoun County lawmakers will soon vote on whether to end a long-standing incentive program that expedites data center development projects, the latest in a series of efforts to constrain the exploding industry.
Since 2012, the county has accelerated certain site plan applications for targeted industries, including data centers, in order to get their facilities up and running faster, roughly halving the time it takes for project site plans to receive final approval. Time is money in development, as in so many things, so local governments often offer such fast-tracking as a carrot to lucrative businesses they hope will bolster the tax base and jobs.
Four county supervisors have proposed ending the program for data centers in Loudoun. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the matter Jan. 7.
