GOOCHLAND, Va. — Goochland County residents shared their opinions about a potential 900-megawatt data center campus being built in Goochland County at a community meeting Thursday.
The Denver-based technology company, TRACT, proposed to build Tuckahoe Creek Technology Park, an 871-acre data center campus. The data centers will be built next to residences along Hockett Road, Cobblestone Circle, and Mosaic at West Creek.
TRACT held a community meeting at Goochland High School to allow residents to learn more about the proposal and voice their concerns. Many in attendance protested against the data centers.
While supporters of the growing industry believe data centers will create billions of dollars in economic activity, many have concerns about the environmental impacts, such as water usage, loudness, and heat generation.
Steve Levet, a resident who opposes the data centers in Goochland, worries about the data center’s water consumption.
“What TRAC is asking for is to use as much as 600,000 gallons of water per day to dissipate the heat on extremely hot days. They're asking for permission to use as much as two million gallons per day. That's a lot of water.”
Cynthia Hass, a protester at the meeting, said she and her husband were sold on moving to Goochland for a quiet retirement.
“That's gonna completely ruin my peace and quiet," she said.
Hass is concerned about the transparency and zoning legality of the data center park. Before signing their contract for their home, she called the county about new developments in the area.
“We even called the county before we signed the contract on our home, and we said what can be built in back of us and they said, oh, that's just in one manufacturing area that cannot be damaging too residential at all," she said.
The Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission Review must approve the proposal before a final decision. The next scheduled hearing litigation is set for October 2026.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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