Fairfax County, Virginia, adopted on September 10, 2024 what is widely regarded as the most comprehensive data center noise and siting ordinance in the United States. It was developed after months of contentious public hearings, reviewed by the county’s Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC), and passed 8-2 by the Board of Supervisors. The ordinance is significant for advocacy in two directions: it demonstrates that local governments can regulate data center noise effectively, AND it demonstrates that data center development with proper engineering controls is compatible with residential communities. Pending applications that comply with the new standards are moving forward.
Fairfax County, Virginia: The Compliance Framework
Fairfax County, Virginia, adopted on September 10, 2024 what is widely regarded as the most comprehensive data center noise and siting ordinance in the United States. It was developed after months of contentious public hearings, [...]
Immersion & Liquid Cooling: The Near-Silent Data Center
The fundamental source of data center community noise complaints is air movement: the high-speed fans required to push large volumes of air through server racks and exhaust heat to the exterior. These fans are noisy [...]
Amazon Web Services Great Oak Retrofit
The Amazon Great Oak data center complex in Prince William County, Virginia, represents the most thoroughly documented noise response case in U.S. data center history. It is not a success story without complications — and [...]