Active Infrastructure is proposing to develop 362 acres into a data center campus in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia.
The project, known as Spring Valley Technology Park, will be powered in part by on-site clean energy generation and a battery storage system, reports the Washington Business Journal.
The company is currently preparing to submit a rezoning application to enable the project. The land in question sits on the east side of Evergreen Mills Road and one parcel to the west, around eight miles south of Leesburg.
The site is currently zoned as a "Transition Large Lot Neighborhood" which is predominantly for low-density housing.
In total, Active Infrastructure is looking to develop 3.5 million sq ft (325,161 sqm) of data center space.
The company plans to power the site with “natural gas-powered hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity without combustion, creating a low- or zero-emissions microgrid,” and use a battery system that can help stabilize the electrical grid, and even send power back to the larger grid if necessary.
WBJ notes that the on-site power generation will power a portion of the campus's energy needs.
DLA Piper LLP, Active Infrastructure's land use attorney, told WBJ that "the applicant has reserved an area large enough to potentially offset a majority, if not all, of its demand," though notes that it is currently too soon to offer an exact estimate.
In a LinkedIn post, Active Infrastructure said: "We are excited to announce that we have commenced the approval process to develop Spring Valley Technology Park (SVTP), our first data center campus in Loudoun County, Virginia.
"Intentionally planned to be concealed and have minimal visual impact on the surrounding community, SVTP will incorporate unprecedented design features, including dense mature forest setbacks ranging from 200 to over 1,000 ft and over 60 percent open space. We are also proud to propose the first data center campus to incorporate innovative technologies into its design, including on-site large-scale low to zero-emission electricity generation and a utility-scale battery energy storage system."
The company added: "More information on this development will be released as the project advances through the county’s review process."
During the summer of 2024, Loudoun County lawmakers tightened data center restrictions.
In July, the Board of Supervisors voted 7-2 in favor of removing data centers as a by-right use on all properties in all zones. This shortly followed supervisor Mike Turner presenting a whitepaper at a June meeting which raised the issue of strain on the local grid in Northern Virginia as a result of the concentration of data centers.
Turner proposed that the country create new rules in its zoning ordinance that require data center applicants to include on-site generation or microgrids in their proposals, thus reducing the toll taken on the grid. This application from Active Infrastructure satisfies this request, particularly taking heed of Turner's view that solar and wind are not sufficient and the county and industry need to consider onsite natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells, batteries, or small nuclear reactors.
Active Infrastructure is a New York-based data center developer. The company offers end-user build-to-suit development, turn-key leasing of our speculative-powered shell buildings, sale of entitled land, development support services, merger and acquisition advisory services, and joint venture partnerships. Its website currently lists three markets: Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix, Arizona; and North Virginia.
The company was founded by Jeffrey Zygler who is also CEO and was previously a partner at Dermody Properties, a real estate investment and management company, and was president of development at KTR Capital Partners. Active Infrastructure has Michael Grella as its chief infrastructure officer who is the founder of Grella Partnership Strategies and previously led Amazon Web Services' Economic Development teams.
