Organizations and residents opposed to planned data center development just outside city limits are leading a march starting in Alexandria’s West End.
At 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, the march will run from Aslin Beer Company (950 S. Pickett Street) to the Plaza 500 center (6295 Edsall Road in Lincolnia) where data centers and a proposed substation are planned.
The march’s purpose is twofold — to call for Fairfax County Planning Commission denial of the Edsall Road electrical substation and to call for a moratorium on data centers. The Alexandria march is part of Virginia’s March for a Moratorium, a two-week series seeking a pause on new data center development.
Participating organizations include the CCAN Action Fund, Save Bren Mar coalition, Nature Forward Action Alerts, La ColectiVA, Third Act Virginia, Mothers Out Front VA and Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. Attendees will gather before and after the march at Aslin Beer Company and are encouraged to use the nearby Van Dorn Street Metro station and carpools.
“Data centers’ rapid, unchecked buildout is out of control and creating serious harms in our region,” organizers said. “We’ll gather with local residents, community organizations, advocates, and elected leaders to demand that Virginia slow down and figure out how to protect our communities before approving any more data centers.”
The march comes after Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced a new framework to regulate data centers. The governor’s directive seeks to review noise regulations and backup power generators and establish guidelines for grid reliability. The governor also called for the creation of an AI task force and will push for the Virginia General Assembly to adopt the new data center standards during its 2027 session.
The resident-led Save Bren Mar coalition has been opposing the Plaza 500 data center development for years, raising concerns about environmental impacts, proximity to homes and the Metro and transparency. Starwood Capital Group’s data center development is allowed by right under the county’s zoning rules, but Dominion Energy’s electric substation must undergo a public facilities 2232 review by the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The State Corporation Commission has already approved nearly a mile of new transmission lines between the proposed Edsall Road substation and existing Van Dorn substation.
The Planning Commission’s public hearing, originally scheduled for September, has been moved to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 2.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, City Council, Rep. Don Beyer (D-8), state Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-39) and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4) have joined the group of elected officials opposing the Plaza 500 project.
Image via Google Maps
