PoweredAcre

County profile · Virginia

Chesterfield County: data centers & powered land

Google is building a campus near Meadowville Technology Park and holds two more rezoned sites, but the county says it wants no new projects.[1][2]

Last reviewed

Explore Chesterfield County in 3D

Zoning

  • The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the ZOMod zoning ordinance overhaul in September 2025, ending by-right data center development, and the five-year grace period for some commercial and industrial owners does not cover data centers.[3]
  • Under the old ordinance, data centers were by-right in the I-2, I-3 and C-5 districts and by-right with restrictions in I-1, C-3 and C-4.[7]
  • Two projects zoned before the overhaul appealed the permit requirement: the Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the appeal for an 89-acre site at 1931 Old Bermuda Hundred Road in June 2026, while an appeal for a 170-acre site at 1250 and 1500 Battery Brooke Parkway was still pending in late August 2026.[2][4]
  • In May 2025 the county rezoned two sites for data center use on applications brought by its Economic Development Authority, at 4201 Moseley Road (Upper Magnolia Green) and 750 Watkins Centre Parkway.[1][8]
  • Zoning conditions at the Upper Magnolia Green and Watkins Centre sites cap sound at property boundaries adjoining residential property at 75 decibels from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 65 decibels from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., with emergency generators and backup power equipment exempt.[1]
  • Tract withdrew its rezoning request for a 744-acre data center park at 16100 Branders Bridge Road in July 2025 after the Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial.[9]

Power & transmission

  • On November 25, 2025 the SCC approved Dominion Energy's 944 MW Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, a gas-fired peaking plant near the existing Chesterfield Power Station with an estimated cost of $1.47 billion.[10][11]
  • In the same November 2025 ruling the SCC created a Dominion rate class for customers using more than 25 MW at a load factor above 75 percent, with 14-year contracts and minimum demand charges.[11]
  • Google has agreed to buy 200 MW from a fusion power plant that Commonwealth Fusion Systems plans to build in Chesterfield.[1][12]

Utilities

UtilityType
Dominion Energy VirginiaInvestor-owned utility

Campuses

CampusOperatorStatus
Google Chesterfield (Project Peanut)GoogleUnder construction
Google Upper Magnolia Green (Project Skye)GoogleApproved
Google Watkins Centre (Project Loch)GoogleApproved
Chirisa Technology ParkChirisaOperating

Incentives & taxes

  • Business personal property used in data centers is taxed at 24 cents per $100 of assessed value, compared with $3.25 for other computer equipment, a rate the county cut from $1.80 in 2019.[5][1][6]
  • Google's agreements freeze the 24-cent rate for 10 years with two 10-year renewals at its sites, and Google would get an annual grant equal to the extra tax if the county raises the data center rate.[1]
  • The county projects Google will generate more than $40 million a year in local revenue once all three campuses operate, and supervisors deferred a proposal to direct data center revenue to cutting the vehicle tax rate.[1][13]

Water

  • The county lists maximum water use for Google's three sites at about 8.6 million gallons per day combined, which it says is less than 8 percent of its 110.5 million gallon per day capacity.[1]
  • Google has started a study, due by the end of 2026, on using treated wastewater from the Proctors Creek plant for a new reuse water utility.[1]

Fiber

No sourced facts in the directory yet.

Local sentiment

  • In August 2026 a senior county official said Chesterfield has enough data centers and will not approve zoning for new projects beyond those already on the books, and a deputy county administrator said staff would not recommend new requests.[2]
  • The Southern Environmental Law Center opposed the Chesterfield gas plant, arguing customers will pay for resources that serve Dominion's new data center customers.[14]

Known gaps

  • Google has not disclosed the megawatt capacity of its Chesterfield campuses.
  • No source confirms which Dominion substations or transmission lines will serve the Google and Chirisa sites.
  • No verified fiber route or subsea cable connection was found specific to Chesterfield data center sites.
  • The outcome of the pending vested rights appeal at 1250 and 1500 Battery Brooke Parkway was not found.
  • Coordinates for most campuses could not be matched by the Census geocoder.

Screening a parcel in Chesterfield County?

Order a Quick ScreenHow we compile this

Other Virginia counties

Sources

  1. Data Centers Chesterfield County. Accessed .
  2. Chesterfield says it won't approve any more data center projects Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  3. Chesterfield supervisors give final approval to ZOMod zoning ordinance overhaul Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  4. Developer appealing permit requirement for data center project in Chesterfield Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  5. Business Taxes, Rates and Appeals Chesterfield County. Accessed .
  6. Chesterfield data center timeline WTVR CBS 6. Accessed .
  7. Chesterfield would restrict data center development under latest zoning update proposal Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  8. Chesterfield scores a Google trifecta: Tech giant reveals ties to 3 massive sites across the county Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  9. After thumbs down from commission, developer withdraws, plans to refile 700-acre Chesterfield data center proposal Richmond BizSense. Accessed .
  10. Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center approved WTVR CBS 6. Accessed .
  11. SCC approves Chesterfield gas plant and Dominion rate hike, creates new rate class for data centers Virginia Mercury. Accessed .
  12. Google announces Chesterfield data center Chesterfield County. Accessed .
  13. Allocation of Data Center Revenue (Board of Supervisors Aug. 26, 2026) Chesterfield County. Accessed .
  14. SCC greenlights proposed Chesterfield gas plant Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed .

14 sources cited. See the methodology for how facts are selected and reviewed.