Teachers Asked to 'Turn Off Lights' in County Packed With Data Centers
Summary
Henrico County in Virginia is asking government and school staff to save electricity because their power costs will rise by nearly 25% starting July 1. The county has many data centers, which use a lot of power, contributing to higher electricity bills that could cost an extra $5 million next year.Key Facts
- Henrico County’s electricity rates for government and schools will increase by about 25% starting July 1.
- The county has 37 data centers, with plans for 17 more, mostly in the eastern corridor.
- Data centers use large amounts of electricity, impacting overall power costs.
- County Manager John Vithoulkas sent an email asking employees to conserve energy by turning off lights, shutting down computers, and not using space heaters.
- Henrico is part of a group of about 170 Virginia government entities that buy power together and are seeing similar rate increases.
- Virginia has the highest number of large data centers worldwide and uses a lot of water and power for these centers.
- Reports predict that increasing data center power needs could raise residents’ electricity bills significantly by 2030 and 2040.
- Loudoun County nearby calls itself the “Data Center Capital of the World” and is also working on employee energy-saving programs.
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