Recently, Economic Development Assistant Director Buddy Rizer partnered with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce to give a talk on the future of Loudoun’s data center industry. The presentation, called, “Data Centers 2.0: What’s Next,” involved industry leaders and touched on topics that included financial markets, energy efficiency, competition and more. Data centers are a great economic development success story for Loudoun. In fact, our “data center alley” has helped put Loudoun on the map. Our abundant land, extensive network of fiber providers (currently at more than 900) and utility rates that are 31 percent below the national average have made Loudoun an ideal data center location. Loudoun also offers quick time to market for new data center projects. This was a big factor in RagingWire’s decision to locate their new facility in Loudoun, and is one of our top draws for other companies wishing to relocate or expand in our area. Data centers are also a boon for Loudoun. They’re a high-value real estate play and offer many tax benefits for the county. They’re a perfect fit for a fast-growing county like Loudoun, with new schools, roads and more constantly being built in order to accommodate our expanding population. But, as Rizer points out, competition is heating up. Nevada, for instance, is increasing its efforts to attract data centers to bolster their state in the midst of a Vegas tourism downturn. “We’re going to keep getting aggressive,” Rizer said. “We’re going to keep doing what we can to make sure we’re a place for business.” Rizer’s full presentation can be seen below and includes a virtual tour through RagingWire’s new facility, and segments from Marty Friedman of DH Capital, Justin Mahlman of Bowman Geothermal and Ron Vokoun of Gray Construction. –
Data centers two point oh final from Loudoun County Department of Economic Development
