Know the Facts
on Data
Our valley's farmland, water, and electric bills are on the line. Large data centers promise economic benefits. But every Virginia county that said yes is now living with consequences nobody warned them about.
Where the Proposals Stand
Three New High-Voltage Lines
Through Frederick County
Three separate transmission projects are being routed through Frederick County to carry power from West Virginia to Loudoun County's data centers. Most of the power does not stay here. Frederick County absorbs the cleared land and lost views for power that serves another county's tax base.
The Facts Every
Resident Deserves to Know
These are not projections or scare tactics. They are documented numbers from Virginia regulators, federal labs, and public records filed in 2025 and early 2026.
What This Means
For Frederick County
These aren't abstract statewide concerns. They are documented impacts that will reach your well, your electric bill, and your land if we don't speak up now.
Our Valley's Water
Is at Risk
Frederick County sits in the Shenandoah Valley, a region already prone to drought. A single large data center can consume more water than the entire county uses in a day, with no legal guarantee our farms and wells come first.
You'll Pay for
Their Power
Frederick County is served by REC, a member-owned co-op you're part owner of. Data centers force massive grid upgrades that hit every member's bill. REC's own filings warn that proposed data centers would demand more power than its entire existing customer base combined.
24 Hours a Day,
7 Days a Week. Forever.
Data centers never sleep. Cooling systems the size of houses run continuously on rooftops four stories above your fields. When it's hot, which is when you're trying to sleep with your windows open, they run loudest. There is no off switch.
Frederick County Sits on
Hollow Ground
Most of Frederick County is underlain by karst, a landscape of dissolved limestone riddled with caves, sinkholes, and underground rivers. It's what makes the Shenandoah Valley beautiful. It's also what makes industrial-scale groundwater consumption here uniquely catastrophic.
What Our Neighbors
Are Living With
Virginia communities that said yes to data centers are now sounding the alarm. Their experience is our warning.
200+ data centers. 43 million square feet. Drinking water use jumped 250% in four years. High-voltage transmission lines are being carved through farmland and wetlands. Supervisors now deny applications, but for most neighborhoods, it is already too late.
Data centers built adjacent to the Great Oaks subdivision generated years of noise complaints and national news coverage. A Loudoun realtor noted in February 2025: "No one has ever asked me to find them a home near a data center." We'd be the experiment.
The Board of Supervisors voted 5–0 against a zoning change that would have opened the door to data centers, calling the facilities "monstrosities." Residents cited threats to the local water supply and community character. Frederick County has that same choice right now.
Show Up.
Be Counted.
The Feb. 24 forum drew 250–300 residents and forced the county to postpone Feb. 26 to "improve the format". The pressure is working. Keep it up.
Sign the Petition.
Go on Record.
Showing up at the forum is powerful. Adding your name to the official petition makes your opposition part of the permanent public record.
Frederick County residents have signed.
Every signature is presented to the Board.
- Your name and district become part of the official public record. The Board cannot ignore it.
- A petition with hundreds of signatures from across all six districts demonstrates countywide opposition, not just one neighborhood.
- If the Board delays a decision, the petition keeps pressure on between meetings.
- Signatures can be printed and delivered directly to the Board at public meetings.
- Takes less than 60 seconds to sign.
Media Resources
Covering data centers in Frederick County? Everything on this site is sourced and available for reference. Contact us for comment, data, or interviews with local residents.
- ◆Two data center proposals were rejected by the Board 5-1 in June 2025: a 644-acre campus south of Stephens City (Tract Capital) and a 105-acre site south of Winchester.
- ◆Frederick County sits almost entirely on karst terrain, a geological formation that makes groundwater uniquely vulnerable to contamination from industrial activity.
- ◆The county is served by two member-owned electric cooperatives: REC and SVEC. REC projects 17 GW of data center demand by 2040, 18× its current peak load.
- ◆Two county-hosted data center information forums have been held: Feb. 24 at Sherando High School (~250–300 residents, vocal opposition) and May 7, 2026 at James Wood High School (originally postponed after backlash on the format).
- ◆All statistics on this site are sourced to primary documents: JLARC, Virginia Energy, USGS, Consumer Federation of America, NPR, and local Virginia press.
For press inquiries, interview requests, or comment, reach out directly. We can also connect journalists with local residents, farmers, and community members willing to speak on the record.
info@protectfrederick.orgThis site is an independent community effort by Frederick County residents. It is not affiliated with any political party or outside organization.
Spread the Word
Across the Valley
The April 15 community forum recording is now available. Both county-hosted forums have been held. Share this page so neighbors stay informed as the Board of Supervisors continues to weigh these proposals.