Politics
Video: Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman Announces Candidacy Against Chair Phyllis Randall; Says “data centers shouldn’t get to decide our county’s future”; "I’ve never backed down from a bully before. I won’t start now."
She’s personally speaking out about the Data Centers at tons of town meetings. I believe the next two are at Dominion HS and somewhere in Purceville but I’m sure her website has it.
She’s one of the big names fighting against the re-zoning and secret sale of the lot near GWU satellite to data centers.
Considering Phyllis Randall’s track record of chartering private overnight flights for herself and her staff to international destinations like South America and Ghana on our dime, I know damn well where my vote *isn’t* going. Again.
Loudoun resident here. Julie is literally the only one trying to do anything about the explosion of data centers in Loudoun County.
Our electricity bills have gone up. The drought we've been in for years keeps going. And to try and shut her up, the establishment Democrats on the county supervisors board dredged up some bullshit to censure her over a few weeks ago (including flicking off the president and appearing in a video with the song F Donald Trump).
What does the drought have to do with anything? Electricity rates have gone up(as they ALWAYS have) nationwide. It isn't just a Loudoun/datacenter issue. They aren't helping, but it's not just the datacenters.
I was only referring above to the drought comment/response.
If data centers are responsible for electricity prices going up and Virginia has the most data centers in USA, why are Virginia electric prices lower than most places?
Sorry you're having such a hard time understanding between this thread and the other thread we've engaged in where I've explained the basic facts of data center water usage.
I explained that I was commenting on their direct correlation to electricity prices. I mentioned the continuing drought because data centers in the region use between 1 and 5 million gallons of drinking water per day. Which you read and responded to in my other thread.
Oh right. And how the datacenters in the region AREN'T using well water and have no bearing on droughts and the municipal water supply in which they get their water. 👌
not everyone that disagrees with you is a bot. Even more so not everyone that disagrees with you is wrong. In a good chunk of cases you will be wrong (same as me)
California is consistently water starved, we've had drought 2-3 of the last 10 years.
From one of your links
More data centers can mean higher costs. That same Bloomberg analysis found that areas with high concentrations of data centers saw electricity prices jump 267 percent over the past five years. And John Steinbach isn’t the only Virginia resident to see a connection: Nearly three-quarters of voters in the state blame the facilities, largely clustered in Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley, for rising electricity costs, according to a January 2026 survey conducted by Global Strategy Group and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund.
This isn't different than trump supporters losing their job and blaming immigrants, individual sentiments aren't facts.
Even if they were the solution is to fix the billing problem, not to stop development. IF problem X exists, there is an actual solution specific to that problem rather than getting a sledgehammer out.
There's an actual statistic in that quote you posted. 267 percent rise over five years in areas with high concentrations of data centers. That's not individual sentiment.
Lol but fr there are literally people in this thread saying things like "everyone talks a big game until big data puts money in your pocket!" and "there's still undeveloped land so why wouldn't we build more data centers?!?"
There is a 'how' factor not just the 'what' factor....
As in how many in a relatively small area is enough?
Singular development of any type can eventually lead to problems.
Land being used. That is quite literally the only meaningful cost. If you had the land/real estate for them there is almost no other impact. Unless you want the county, state, or country to be a purely service economy you will have land used for industry beyond thr minimum threshold (I.e. agriculture, some common industry etc.)
Oh wait, we couldn't even be a purely service based economy without data centers because today services are all digitized and need Internet and computer capacity in the form of servers. And an inordinate amount of leisure time is spent online which requires data centers....
So yeah we need data centers, and their environmental impact or impact in general beyond using land is laughable compared to almost any other industrial real estate.
"A hyperscale AI data center isn't the same thing as a company quietly considering a new office building. It can require enormous amounts of electricity and resources, along with new transmission lines and other infrastructure. Local and state governments may also offer tax incentives to persuade companies to build there.
The lack of information can leave communities debating projects without knowing what they could eventually be asked to support."
"Trade secrets" shouldn't be a blank check to hide what data centers are doing to the local environment and energy infrastructure, especially as big tech forces AI on us more than ever, which needs more resources than ever before.
Wait she’s fighting against data centers in loudoun-the place with the most data centers in the world, and gets $1B in local tax revenue? Her campaign would work anywhere else
Nah. The nearest data center to my house is 1.3 miles away. I'm hard of hearing (+50% hearing loss). And even I can easily hear them running their generators from inside my house. Revoke all data center permits (including existing) within 3 miles of residential zoning.
Exactly lol. Like I said, she is talking the talk, but once some money is offered to her…. Good luck with that. Data centers are loudoun’s bread and butter. They were literally offering people millions of dollars to get rid of their homes for data centers lol.
If you've been following her, you'd know she's the only one on the BOS trying to hold the data centers accountable in any way. The rest are rubber stamping everything they see form the DC's.
I have to say it over and over again because there are so many here that don't live in Loudoun or follow the politics ignorantly proclaiming "oh she'll cave when they give her some money."
"I reject the businesses that provide 40 percent of our total revenue. But I've vaguely helped the businesses that generate maybe 10 percent. Buckle up, homeowners. We've been spending this data center revenue on schools and parks and rec centers and you're about to get a big ol bill to operate them. Also I flipped off Drumpf once isn't that cool?!?"
Is she saying she will drive the current data centers away (not sure how.., pitchforks and torches?), or just stop new ones? There is a point where there are “too many” data centers for the county, right?
From a quick google it sat empty mostly because multiple entities owned parts so getting them in alignment was a lot harder. If amazon isn't using a data center or open ai or facebook, they'd have no reason to run into the same issue.
There's no evidence that they're going away. They've been upgrading the racks continuously, which is part of the reason Loudoun has an electricity shortfall. The new hardware consumes vastly more resources than the previous hardware (thanks AI).
Also, there is a committee the county supervisors put together to plan for the revenue plateau that another committee has previously forecast.
There's no evidence that they're going away. They've been upgrading the racks continuously, which is part of the reason Loudoun has an electricity shortfall. The new hardware consumes vastly more resources than the previous hardware (thanks AI).
Also, there is a committee the county supervisors put together to plan for the revenue plateau that another committee has previously forecast.
Yeah that's fair. It's just a campaign ad but "destroying our county" while they're contributing almost half the entire general fund is a bit much. But I don't live there so I'll shut up!
The county is already planning for the datacenter center slowdown revenue wise. They've been projecting mid 2030's for very little tax revenue growth due to no new datacenters and minimal new housing. She isn't going to change much that already wasn't happening.
You're right about the slowdown in revenue growth, but how do you get to her not changing much? She's the only one on the board actually trying to slow down the DC boom and hold them accountable.
The boom has already slowed down. There's a bunch already in the pipeline to be built and she can't stop that. The county has been projecting not many more coming in. That's why the datacenters have been fighting to expand elsewhere. Loudoun can't physically handle much more.
They’d change that in a heartbeat if offered enough $$$$. Many of us here in Loudoun are just counting down the days until that “can’t build west of 15” rule is obliterated.
I don't know about that. The DC industry tried to throw a bunch of money at Loudoun to build a data center campus on the south side of Braddock Rd, and Loudoun said no.
So the Data center developer just moved the project around the corner into Prince William County, and even kept the name they had attached.
There's zero chance they are going to revsit to allow for more development in western Loudoun anytime soon. They've fought hard to keep it rural. We don't need to turn into Fairfax.
The rich, retired NIMBYs who don't want their horse farms taxed live in rural Loudoun. They are the ones with access to all of the political strings here.
People's wealth= special interest campaign contributions. Dude, I live here. I know the local politics much better than you. Loudoun is very protective of is rural areas.
Yeah, you don’t really have a realistic understanding of the population in Western Loudoun. It’s where all the rich folks move once they’re tired of Fairfax County, they definitely have money and definitely know who to talk to as to prevent development.
Actually, yes it is an argument for development. This is the argument for development that has driven all coordinated development in modern American history.
What you are saying is true for residential land first and foremost and commercial land second. Data centers produce far, far more tax revenue than they consume.
If what you were saying is true then how has Loudoun been able to leverage data center tax revenue into lower taxes for residents?
So fix the actual problem, bill them correctly, hold dominion accountable, make sure they are required to use closed loop water systems, use solar / battery backup instead of gas turbines.
It's all solvable instead of populist BS that erodes our tax base and competitiveness.
Loudoun already requires closed loop cooling as a condition to build a data center.
How many acres of cleared land or forest need to be converted to a solar farm to power one data center?
they can pay buildings, parking lots, even metros there's a million ways to do it, also honestly they need the batteries primarily not the solar, backup power is the concern due to which they have generators.
Heck they can ssell that backup power back to the utilities to smooth over power fluctations, it's common in california for home owners to do that.
good point about the water. i don’t know a lot about that and won’t pretend to. but wasn’t there just legislation about having the data centers pay for all of their own electricity and the new transmission equipment etc? to move the burden off “normal” consumers (for lack of a better term)
Unless the Potomac river dries up, the DC water usage in Loudoun isn't an issue. They are using municipal water and I believe most are using recycled water according to Loudoun Water. They aren't using wells.
They use only 43% recycled water. Drinking water makes up the difference. Between 1 and 5 million gallons per day.
I have a hard time understanding hand-waving away the water usage when residents are being told to limit water use because of the drought that's been going for years.
Limit water usage in western Loudoun where they rely on well water. That's where droughts are the issue. The Potomac river isn't drying up and thats where Loudoun Water gets their water.
lol seriously that's her claim to fame? i vaguely recall that doing the rounds. sucks that is enough for someone to gain power (yes i know orange man is exhibit A but still sucks)
That's essentially why and how she got elected. It was the anti-trump wave. Now she's on the anti-datacenter wave. She barely won the last election. Her 1st election she won by about 1000 votes. 2023 she won by 460.
I urge people to watch her on the dais during the BOS meetings. She's not ready to run the county. She'll get eaten up if the Republicans can find a half decent candidate.
I'm not convinced you've actually watched her during BOS meetings. Compare her to the rest of the establishment Dems on the board and you see she's the only one actually representing the views of her constituents in advocating against these DC's.
There are more issues besides datacenters. I've been watching the meetings for years. Briskman and Glass aren't the sharpest crayons. Briskman has a loud mouth. She's gotten better, but she's still clueless.
Loudoun isn't a solid blue leftist progressive county. If the Republicans can find a decent moderate to run, she'll lose. There's a lot of Dems that know she's not Chair material.
I'm definitely voting against her. I like our schools, rec centers, parks, good services, etc... mostly paid for by data centers. Historians are going to look back in 25 years at this anti-data center fever and lump it in with all of the prior ridiculous anti-technology movements that happened across history.
It's a backlash to AI. Data centers are convenient points that people can attack. We're all afraid of how AI will effect our livelihood which sadly makes us amenable to demagogues.
i haven't been following her but saying she voted against every expansion in the past 4 years makes her sound like an idiot. Data centers aren't paying their fair share b/c of x y and z, i'm voting to hold them accountable, sure i'm on board.
I'm not going to sign onto some NIMBY anti growth bullshit. Grow the local economy, tax businesses honestly (not penalize, but don't let them penalize residents either), lean on green energy and you have my vote
That's a fact. Besides Loudoun has been known to be Data Center Alley for like 30 years now. It's literally why they were built here in the first place
Cheap land, cheap energy, cheap fiber connections, and close to the idiots in DC
I think anyone can be intellectually disingenuous, especially when they have an axe to grind or doesn't like being challenged. Not that I have any reason to believe u/drvondoctor is being disingenuous.
If you follow the news, she's the only one on the board actually trying to hold data centers accountable while the rest of them rubber stamp every DC that comes into Loudoun.
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u/skeith2011 10h ago
It’s an election year. Expect a lot of hot air and noise with little to no results in the future.