New data center plans fuel fights in Goochland, Henrico, Chesterfield
Google is eyeing a massive 1,000-acre data center campus in Goochland as residents across the Richmond region push back against projects they fear they have little power to stop. Why it matters: The backlash is crossing county lines, with Henrico residents even pressing their own elected officials to intervene in Goochland's development decisions. Driving the news: A series of developments last week — from heated public meetings to newly disclosed plans and proposed zoning changes — fueled the growing tensions. The latest: Google's interest in Goochland's West Creek Business Park became public last week after the company and county agreed to lift an NDA dating to January 2024. The site has allowed data centers without new public zoning hearings since 1987. Meanwhile in Chesterfield: Hundreds of residents attended a contentious forum Tuesday , pressing Google, Dominion Energy and other industry representatives about transparency, electricity costs and environmental impacts. Google said it would limit its use of NDAs, following criticism over secrecy, while officials pledged continued community engagement . Along the Henrico-Goochland border: Henrico residents are fighting at least four proposed data centers in neighboring Goochland, including a nearly 900-acre campus along Patterson. They're concerned about pollution, noise and their limited
