For almost two centuries, agriculture was the most prominent way of life with a steady population of 20,000 in Loudoun. However, after the construction of Dulles Airport in 1958, the geographical dynamic of the county began to shift to an urban and industrialized area. Most notably, the population increased to over 400,000 people. This new construction brought new economic opportunities, but with economic growth and new construction comes environmental concerns like increased stormwater runoff and energy usage.
After a 240 percent increase from 2018 to 2023, the number of data centers being built in Loudoun County has doubled over the past two years. Dominion Energy projected Loudoun to require 3.4 Gw or 3.4 billion watts to run the data centers for 2023. Based on a linear growth rate, which would be a conservative estimate, Loudoun County will require 11.56 Gw of energy in 2028. In 2024, 43 million square feet of data centers were approved with 47 million square feet of data centers planned to be built over the next five years. According to the Joyce Foundation, up to 1000 megawatts of electricity and 300,000 gallons of water are needed to properly power and cool a data center for one day, which is enough energy to power eight hundred thousand homes for a single day. Currently, 25.6 percent of Virginia’s electricity is used by data centers, which is roughly 107,800 Gw of electricity or 107 trillion watts, which is significantly above the national average of two percent. To accommodate the growth of the data centers and the increased energy consumption, new infrastructure is being built, causing habitat fragmentation.
Woodgrove alumna and Environmental Education Specialist from Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD) Jessie Freeland explained that people are moving out of the city for many reasons, stating, “Loudoun County is a suburb of DC and a great place to have your family and settle down. It’s awarded everywhere that we have such good schools, but with that you need houses, shopping centers, and roads.” The rate at which Loudoun County is growing has not been seen anywhere else before, especially in Virginia. “We’re learning from ourselves here,” Freeland explained. As the county is learning how to manage the exponential growth, they are trying to balance environmental impacts as well such as energy consumption and natural resource depletion.
LSWCD Conservation Specialist and member of the Loudoun Environmental Commision Robert Wilbur explained the effects losing mature tree canopy due to habitat loss has on the environment. “You see a change in the makeup of what species are there. It makes it easier for things like invasive species to take over because they’re so much more resilient,” Wilbur stated. However, he believes that there is a way to balance urbanization and environmental conservation. Wilbur explained, “I think there has to be a balance somewhere. If you can be a little more thoughtful in your planning and prioritize natural resources, I think you can solve a lot of problems, and we’re starting to see that with new initiatives.”
New initiatives include changing zoning ordinances to protect Loudoun’s soils, prioritizing wildlife corridors, the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), and, in 2023, an energy strategy. The energy strategy covers issues such as total energy balance, electric vehicles, carbon emissions and electrifying a portion of the county’s vehicle fleet, which is “a great step” towards balancing urbanization and environmental conservation, according to Wilbur. Additionally, Freeland explains that she “always tries to be positive” when it comes to protecting the environment. She emphasized the importance of participating in small, positive tasks that can have a greater impact, stating, “Educating our HOA’s on the importance of installing a meadow rather than turf grass. Even adding in a pollinator garden in an area outside your house. It doesn’t even have to be that big, it still has dozens and dozens of pollinators. It can make a huge difference.”
Students across the county are also affected by the environment. Mason Grove, a Co-President of the Environmental Club at Woodgrove, explained that their club has not been doing anything directly to combat pollutants specifically caused by data centers, but they have started initiatives focusing on Woodgrove students. Currently, the club is focusing on spreading awareness and information through school-wide projects such as trash cleanups, and they are working to revamp the school’s recycling program in cooperation with school administration.
From the drastic change from sprawling farms to sprawling businesses over the past 200 years, citizens across the county are experiencing the effects urbanization has on the environment. Both Freeland and Wilburd highly encouraged students to be active and vocal in environmental conservation. Freeland explained, “Always be curious, learn what’s going on around you. Stay positive and learn and be as active as you can in your environment.” Additionally, Wilbur explained that if students go out and experience the environment, then they are more likely to care about it and it is more likely to stay. He stated, “I always think of this saying: an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.”