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Data center trends in Virginia
How Virginia's data center records have changed over time, from DEQ's air permit records and county filings. Rebuilt every morning with the map; every count links to its source.
Air permits issued per year
Virginia DEQ issued 44 data center air permits in 2026 through Sep 21, 2026, after 34 in all of 2025.
From DEQ's list of issued air permits for data centers (saved Sep 21, 2026; *2026 is partial). A permit for backup generators is issued before a data center is built, and one site can have more than one permit. Counts by year are this site's tally of DEQ's list.
Show as a table
| Year | Permits issued |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 44 |
| 2025 | 34 |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
Where they are, by stage
198 data centers on DEQ's records: 156 operating, 41 planned or under construction, 1 shut down. The stages are DEQ's own.
OperatingPlanned or under constructionShut down
From DEQ's Air Sites records, refreshed every morning. Counties and cities with the most data centers first; the rest are combined.
Show as a table
| County or city | Operating | Planned or under construction | Shut down | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County | 75 | 11 | 0 | 86 |
| Prince William County | 27 | 6 | 0 | 33 |
| Fairfax County | 24 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| Mecklenburg County | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Henrico County | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Chesterfield County | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Culpeper County | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Fauquier County | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| All others (15 places) | 7 | 13 | 1 | 21 |
County filings that mention a data center
173 county filings from Loudoun County records, 78 of them still in county review. Filings come before any DEQ air permit: land-use applications (decided by the county board, usually after a public hearing) and site plans (reviewed by county staff).
By the year the application was filed; *2026 is partial. Decided filings from before 2021 aren't tracked, so earlier years aren't shown (2 older filings still in review). Statuses are the counties' own.
Show as a table
| County | Type | In county review | Approved | Denied | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County | Land-use applications | 24 | 20 | 0 | 44 |
| Loudoun County | Site plans | 54 | 75 | 0 | 129 |
Changes logged
Since Sep 28, 2026, the daily check of the records has logged 3 changes:
- 3 stage changes
Each one is on New this week and in its RSS feed.