A proposal to build three new Amazon data centers along Ashton Avenue near the Manassas Mall was shelved indefinitely ahead of the Oct. 22 Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting during which it was scheduled to be discussed.
Amazon Web Services has signed three new agreements to develop nuclear power projects for energizing its massive data centers, including one with Virginia’s Dominion Energy.
The Dominion agreement includes exploring the development of Small Modular Reactors, a kind of nuclear reactor with a smaller physical footprint that allows them to be built closer to the grid, and with faster build and delivery times. The project would be near Dominion’s existing nuclear power facilities at Virginia’s Lake Anna.
The Stafford County Utilities Department will provide the Board of Supervisors with an update on the county’s water reuse system project at a special work session on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. The project is linked to the construction of an Amazon data center on Old Potomac Church Road, near Stafford Hospital, part of the Potomac Church Tech Center zoning amendment.
Amazon Data Services (AWS) agreed to construct a reclaimed water facility at the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Plant. This facility will support the cooling needs of data centers in areas north of Centreport Parkway. AWS has committed to limiting the occupancy of the second building at the data center until the reuse system is operational, with a scheduled delivery date in the second quarter of 2027. The first building will use potable water until the reuse system is complete.
The update will cover the planning and design guidance for the reuse system, which includes upgrades to the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility for Level 1 reclaimed water. This level of treatment is suitable for industrial cooling and worker contact. AWS proposes to construct improvements to enhance water treatment from Level 2 to Level 1, with an estimated cost of $75 million. The county will design these improvements, with AWS providing reimbursement.
The reuse system will feature on-site storage, transmission mains, storage tanks, booster stations, a new Potomac Creek Wastewater Pump Station, and a new Centerport Water Pump Station. The North Reuse System’s design is based on known interests and water availability, with effluent from the Aquia facility serving the system. The project aims to maximize the reuse of water through system storage and building optimization.
Future projects, such as the Stafford Technology Campus, a data center complex eyed south of Old Church Road, will extend the reuse water line from Potomac Church and construct additional storage along the northern boundary of the site. The system will be integrated with current master plan projects, and the developer will handle construction instead of the county.
The update will also address ongoing negotiations with AWS, the water reuse master plan, the reuse pro-rata policy, and future water reuse rates. The reuse system is expected to go into service between 2027 and 2028.
The announcement of the AWS InCommunities Funds coincided with a recent event celebrating AWS’s $35 billion investment in new data centers across the four counties. The event was attended by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System Dr. David Dore, Germanna Community College President Dr. Janet Gullickson, and various state and local officials.
Shannon Kellogg, AWS’s VP of Public Policy for the Americas, emphasized its commitment to supporting local initiatives alongside its economic investments. The community funds, part of a broader series of outreach programs, aim to empower communities through skills development and support for local causes.
Through these funds, AWS will offer grants of up to $10,000 to back community projects aligned with themes such as STEAM education, environmental sustainability, and cultural heritage preservation. Additionally, organizations can seek funding to introduce successful community programs from other regions.
The application window for the AWS InCommunities Funds will be open from April 1 to June 1, 2024, with non-profit organization ChangeX overseeing the management and administration of the funds. Projects will be evaluated based on their positive impact on the community, emphasizing supporting underserved Virginia populations.
Earlier in January, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved a tax agreement with Amazon Data Services, expected to generate nearly $1 billion in county tax revenue over the next 25 years. In exchange for tax incentives, Amazon will invest $392 million into the county’s utility system, enhancing water infrastructure to accommodate the demands of data centers.
The first data center, approved for construction near Stafford Hospital, is projected to generate $252 million in taxes over 25 years. Additionally, plans for a second data center complex are underway, expected to contribute $782 million in tax revenue, according to county administrator’s office estimates.
The Board of Supervisors approved a new tax agreement with Amazon Data Services for the next 25 years to generate nearly $1 billion for county tax coffers.
In exchange for tax breaks, the data behemoth will invest $392 million into the county's utility system, upgrading water infrastructure to handle the demands that data centers place on the system, which require large amounts of water to cool the computers inside. Amazon and other utility customers will enjoy the upgrades the data giant will fund.
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Amazon wants to build 510,000 square feet of data center space, prompting a special Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting on Thursday, December 28, 2023.
Supervisors will be asked to approve 510,000 square feet of data center space on 50 acres next to Stafford Hospital, the Potomac Church site. Two server farms will sit on the site if approved.
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Press Release: “AWS Girls’ Tech Day kicked-off its series of events on September 30, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Prince William County.”
“This year, Girls’ Tech Day in Virginia broke prior year event attendance records – bringing together more than 600 middle school girls to inspire in them an interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).”
“Currently celebrating its fifth year, the program was developed in 2018 to put spotlight on the need for more girls to pursue STEAM careers.”
“It pioneered as a free, half-day learning event that combined panel discussions with trailblazing women and interactive activities to expand awareness of future career possibilities. Since then, the program has become global.”
“For this year’s series kick-off event, AWS partnered with local school districts to engage students across Northern Virginia. Highlights of this year’s event include: students learning to play tic-tac-toe using their drone piloting skills, learning how to code robots so they can pick up and deliver packages in a simulated disaster zone, and learning about the latest cloud technologies that help first responders, humanitarian agencies, and impacted communities during natural disasters.”
“In 2019 Prince William County opened the world’s first AWS Think Big Space, an educational lab that provides students, educators, and communities with hands-on technical education and cloud computing training. AWS has now funded 60 spaces globally, including at Wakefield High School in Arlington County, and J.L Simpson Middle School in Loudoun County.”
Amazon Web Services and Prince William County Public Schools officials gathered to celebrate the first Think Big Space at River Oaks Elementary School, 16950 McGuffeys Trail in Woodbridge.
The company held the event on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Since the space -- two brightly colored classrooms outfitted with technology -- opened in 2019, 60 more have opened worldwide.
