International

Loudoun Pauses Move to Pull Approvals for 15 Data Centers

  • by- Grihik
  • Oct 12, 2026
Loudoun County tabled a plan to revoke by-right approvals for 15 data center projects totaling 10.5 million sq ft. Key facts and risks.
Loudoun Pauses Move to Pull Approvals for 15 Data Centers

What Did Loudoun County Decide on Its 15 Legacy Data Center Projects?

Quick answer: County supervisors tabled a proposal to cancel the by-right zoning approvals of 15 older data center projects, about 10.5 million sq ft, after finding too little board support.

Key facts

  • The proposal: remove grandfathering that lets the 15 projects skip the special exception process the county adopted in March 2025

  • Legal risk: staff estimated up to $60 million in potential liability from developer lawsuits, which administrators said may be understated

  • Scale: more than 250 operating data centers and over 120 in the pipeline

  • Also on the table: a moratorium of up to 12 months on new data center applications, and a separate audit measure that was also tabled

 

Why does it matter?

Loudoun is the heart of "Data Center Alley." Zoning decisions there affect where AI computing capacity gets built and how fast.

What happens next?

The county is still weighing a possible moratorium. Developers with existing approvals can continue for now.

FAQ

What is by-right zoning? It lets a project proceed without special approval if it meets existing rules. Is there a ban? No. The proposal to revoke approvals was tabled.