Your Hour With APA Virginia: Planning for the Infrastructure of the Digital Age

A comprehensive APA Virginia webinar presented by Julie Bolthouse of Piedmont Environmental Council covering the land use impacts of data center development in Virginia. The presentation addresses energy infrastructure requirements, water consumption from cooling systems, air quality concerns from diesel backup generators, noise impacts, fire safety considerations, and the strain on the electric grid from explosive data center growth. It provides practical recommendations for local planners on zoning standards, permitting processes, cooling system evaluation, generator regulation, and proactive collaboration with utilities — drawing extensively on examples from Northern Virginia's data center market.