James City Considers Data Center Noise, Water and Electricity Consumption Guidelines
County seeks to balance impact on surrounding communities with potential revenue
At their scheduled business meeting on Tuesday, the James City County Board of Supervisors reviewed a proposed policy that would guide where and how data centers could be built within the county. Much of their discussion emphasized the need to balance economic benefits with protection of nearby neighborhoods and natural resources.
The recent discussion follows a decision the Board made back in September to amend the county’s zoning ordinance, stipulating that future data centers would continue to be restricted to general industrial areas, but would also need a special use permit before construction.
Staff presented the new draft data center policy as a detailed framework for evaluating future applications and mitigating potential impacts. The proposal lays out guidelines concerning location, design, noise, water use, electricity use as considerations as well as the requirements for the special use permit application.
Board members discussed the potential benefits of data centers such as strong tax revenue, relatively low traffic, and limited demands on schools alongside concerns about environmental and community impacts, such as high electricity and water demands and the visual and noise effects on nearby communities. The possibility of directing a portion of future data center revenue toward projects and services such as recreation centers, grocery stores, or other amenities in the communities in which data centers are located was also discussed by the Supervisors.
Under the proposal, data centers would need to be situated at least 400 feet from occupied homes and 250 feet from historic or environmentally sensitive areas. The policy calls for vegetative buffers, screened fencing, and other design standards consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
A common complaint from neighbors of data centers is noise, typically in the form of a persistent hum. Under the proposed policy, noise from cooling systems and backup generators would be limited to no more than 55 decibels in most areas, which industry sources say is not much more than ambient noise from a neighborhood street. In order to verify that the facility conforms to these sound restrictions, operators would need to submit pre- and post-construction sound studies.
Water and energy use were also central to the draft policy. Future data centers would need to connect to public water and enter into a water conservation agreement with the James City Service Authority. On the power side, developers would be encouraged to use renewable energy, locate facilities within two miles of existing transmission lines, and place new or upgraded power connections underground.
As they discussed the impact of the proposed policy, Supervisors referred to other Virginia localities’ experiences, including nearby Henrico County, which faced strong citizen opposition to proposed data centers, despite offers to reinvest some of the tax revenue into issues such as affordable housing.
Before taking further action regarding the proposed policy, several Supervisors voiced interest in visiting existing data centers in Virginia in order to better understand the scale, sound levels, and community effects of data centers.
During the meeting, the Board expressed appreciation to county staff for the detailed policy work and agreed that further study was warranted before adoption. The draft policy is expected to return for formal consideration and possible approval at an upcoming meeting. If adopted, the county hopes the policy will serve as a flexible guide for future data center proposals while helping the Board evaluate potential projects while ensuring they align with community standards and infrastructure capacity.
The writer used AI tools and these sources:
Agenda - James City County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting - October 28, 2025
Video - James City County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting - October 28, 2025
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