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Stafford County: data centers & powered land

Stafford has five approved data center campuses totaling about 8.7 million sq ft, led by Stack's Stafford Technology Campus along I-95.[1][2]

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Zoning

  • Under ordinance O23-24, adopted October 17, 2023, data centers are a by-right use in the M-2 Heavy Industrial district and the Integrated Corporate and Technology Park (ICTP) overlay.[1]
  • On October 21, 2025 the county adopted ordinance O25-29, which requires data centers to sit at least 750 feet from homes and schools, requires substations and other accessory uses to be 300 feet from property lines, and raises vegetative buffers from 50 to 200 feet.[1][3]
  • The October 2025 rules also cap equipment noise at 55 decibels, call for projects to be within half a mile of existing transmission lines, and mandate energy impact assessments.[3]
  • On December 2, 2025 the Board reordained the ordinance as O25-29(R) to grandfather five projects that predated the new rules.[1][3]
  • In March 2025 the Board narrowly rejected an amendment that would have required a special use permit for data centers in M-2 zoning instead of by-right approval.[5]

Power & transmission

  • The SCC approved Dominion Energy's Centreport 230 kV double-circuit line and new substation in Stafford (PUR-2024-00170) in 2025, with construction planned from fall 2026 to summer 2027.[6]
  • Dominion Energy's planned North Anna to Bristers 500 kV and 230 kV project would cross Stafford, with the southern segment's SCC application planned for fall 2026 and the northern segment's in 2027.[7]
  • Residents have opposed the North Anna to Bristers route, which would pass over several Stafford school properties; Dominion says the lines are needed for reliability as data centers come online.[8]

Utilities

UtilityType
Dominion Energy VirginiaInvestor-owned utility
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC)Electric cooperative

Campuses

CampusOperatorStatus
Stafford Technology CampusStack InfrastructureUnder construction
Potomac Church Tech CenterAmazon Data ServicesApproved
Vantage VA4Vantage Data CentersApproved
Accokeek CenterFalmouth Tech LLCApproved

Incentives & taxes

  • In January 2024 the Board approved 7-0 an incentive agreement with Amazon tied to a projected $6 billion investment in the county.[4]
  • AWS-qualifying buildings keep a $1.25 business personal property tax rate with reimbursement, while the general business tangible personal property rate rises to $5.72.[9]
  • ProjectionA PFM revenue model presented to the Board of Supervisors in April 2026 projects gross data center revenue of $168.4 million by FY34, up from $5.6 million in FY26; this is a projection.[9]

Water

  • AWS will build a reclaimed water facility at the county's Aquia Wastewater Treatment Plant, with treatment upgrades estimated at $75 million that AWS will reimburse.[10]
  • The reuse system was projected to enter service in 2027 or 2028, with occupancy of AWS's second building limited until it runs.[10]

Fiber

No sourced facts in the directory yet.

Local sentiment

  • County staff recommended denying most of the four-site, 1,500-plus acre Kings Corridor Technology Campus along Route 3, and its Planning Commission hearing was moved to November 18, 2026 amid resident opposition.[11]
  • The Planning Commission voted 4-3 in August 2026 to recommend the 590,000 sq ft Accokeek Center campus, which the Board of Supervisors later approved.[12][11]
  • The resident group Protect Stafford has pushed for setbacks of at least 1,000 feet and reported 17 known data center projects in the pipeline.[13]

Known gaps

  • Could not open the county Commissioner of the Revenue tax rate page to confirm the current data center equipment rate directly.
  • No public source confirmed fiber routes or carriers serving Stafford data center sites.
  • The exact date and vote of the Board's Accokeek Center approval were not confirmed.
  • Serving utility for Vantage VA4, Centreport Gateway and Cranes Corner was not confirmed.
  • Outcome of the Kings Corridor and Potomac Creek applications is pending.

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Sources

  1. Planning and Zoning - Data Centers Stafford County. Accessed .
  2. Stack plans 1GW campus in Stafford County, Virginia DatacenterDynamics. Accessed .
  3. Stafford Revisits Data Center Rules, Proposes Grandfathering Five Major Projects Potomac Local News. Accessed .
  4. Data Center Agreement Passes in Stafford Fredericksburg Advance. Accessed .
  5. Stafford Supervisors Vote Down Amendment Making Data Center Use Conditional Fredericksburg Advance. Accessed .
  6. Centreport Dominion Energy. Accessed .
  7. North Anna - Bristers 500 kV and 230 kV Electric Transmission Line Project Dominion Energy. Accessed .
  8. Stafford County homeowners battle the proposed 'Kraken' electric transmission WJLA 7News. Accessed .
  9. Stafford Supervisors Review Data Center Revenue Forecast Potomac Local News. Accessed .
  10. Stafford to provide update on water reuse system project with Amazon data center Potomac Local News. Accessed .
  11. Stafford County postpones data center project hearing after county staff urged denial WJLA 7News. Accessed .
  12. Stafford Planning Commission recommends Accokeek Center data campus, 4-3 Potomac Local News. Accessed .
  13. Stafford considers tougher rules for data centers amid growth concerns Potomac Local News. Accessed .

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