Mariah Cain, Staff Writer
Northern Virginia data centers are in strong demand and developers are struggling to find land locations to build. Virginia contains favorable fiber backbones, state tax incentives, affordable electricity and land. Nearly 300 data centers populate Northern Virginia with activity the highest in Loudoun and Prince Williams Counties and actively growing in Culpeper, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fauquier counties.
In February, Northern Virginia’s data center market set a new record low .98% vacancy rate, however, the electricity rates in the area remain steady. CBRE reports that Northern Virginia is first in the top 10 most active data center markets in North America. Data center projects under construction across North America total 2,254.1 megawatts and Northern Virginia accounts for 918 of those megawatts, according to CBRE.