Louisa County created Technology Overlay Districts in 2023 to attract data‑center investments while preserving rural character. AWS’s initial projects — the Lake Anna and North Creek campuses — were approved with a 15‑year build‑out and substantial tax‑revenue projections. By late 2024, construction on the Lake Anna campus had begun and a second site near Northeast Creek Reservoir was in the permitting stage. In early 2025, AWS submitted a proposal for a massive 7.2‑million‑sq‑ft third campus, prompting public outcry over water usage, traffic and loss of rural identity. Community meetings and editorials amplified the concerns, and by late July AWS withdrew its application and officially cancelled the third project.
During the same period, Louisa County sold the county‑owned Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to EdgeCore, which plans to invest $17 billion in a 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft campus with low‑water, closed‑loop cooling. Despite the cancellation of AWS’s third proposal, two Amazon campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) are moving forward, and EdgeCore’s project underscores continued interest in Louisa County as a data‑center hub.
| Date/Period | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | Louisa County establishes Technology Overlay Districts (TODs) to encourage data‑center development while requiring large buffers, height limits and quieter water‑cooling systems; county FAQ notes that two AWS campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) have a projected 15‑year build‑out and could generate $25 M in annual revenue. | Louisa County FAQ |
| Late Aug 2023 | AWS and REB Investment Company file for a Joint Permit to build the Lake Anna Technology Campus (LATC) on 153 acres at Kentucky Springs Road & Haley Drive; plan calls for seven large data centers, two substations and related infrastructure (environmental details omitted here as Lake Anna Life sources were excluded). | – |
| Nov 2024 | Local officials confirm that AWS is already building the Lake Anna campus and has filed for a second campus near the Northeast Creek Reservoir off Route 33; the two campuses are expected to cost $11 B, create ~1,000 jobs and take 17 years to complete. | NBC29 |
| Dec 2024 | A statewide NBC29 report notes concerns from the Piedmont Environmental Council about data‑center growth, citing a JLARC report that data centers create jobs and revenue but could strain Virginia’s power grid. | NBC29 |
| Early 2025 | AWS files an application for a third data‑center campus on 1,370 acres north of the Northeast Creek Reservoir; the proposed development would cover 7.2 million sq ft and is privately owned by former supervisor Eric Purcell. | Cville Tomorrow |
| June 26 2025 | Louisa County sells its 697‑acre Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure for $42 M; EdgeCore plans a 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft data‑center campus with a closed‑loop air‑cooling system, using less than 0.1 liters of water per kWh. | Information Charlottesville |
| June 2025 | Community meetings and news coverage (e.g., C‑VILLE Weekly) highlight strong opposition to the third AWS proposal, with concerns about traffic on Kennon Road, water supply from the Northeast Creek Reservoir and impacts on rural character; Supervisor Duane Adams signals he is leaning against the project. | C‑VILLE Weekly |
| July 25 2025 | AWS withdraws its request for the third data‑center campus after hearing community feedback; the board chair says major changes would be needed for any future proposal. | NBC29 |
| July 28 2025 | Virginia Business reports that AWS formally cancels the third proposal, citing strong local opposition; two AWS campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) remain under construction, and Amazon plans to invest $35 B in Virginia by 2040. | Virginia Business |
| June–July 2025 | EdgeCore announces a $17 B investment to build its Shannon Hill campus; the 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft facility will support 1.1 GW of power and use water‑saving technology. | REBusiness Online & Capacity Media |
Sources:
Louisa County FAQ (Technology Overlay District and AWS campuses)louisacounty.govlouisacounty.gov
NBC29 – “Amazon building a second data center in Louisa County”29news.com
NBC29 – “Rapid data center growth in Virginia provokes concern”29news.com
NBC29 – “Amazon withdraws request for third data‑center campus”29news.com
Information Charlottesville – “Louisa County sells Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to data center company”infocville.com
Cville Tomorrow – “Amazon Web Services proposes a third, 7.2‑million‑sq‑ft data center in Louisa County”cvilletomorrow.orgcvilletomorrow.orgcvilletomorrow.org
C‑VILLE Weekly – “Amazon data center sparks controversy and conversation in Louisa”c-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.com
Virginia Business – “Amazon cancels data center in Louisa County”virginiabusiness.com
Virginia Business – “EdgeCore invests $17B+ in Louisa County”virginiabusiness.com
Royal Examiner – “Amazon Pulls Louisa County Data Center Proposal After Strong Resistance”royalexaminer.com
REBusiness Online – “EdgeCore to invest $17B for new data center campus in Central Virginia”rebusinessonline.comrebusinessonline.com
Capacity Media – report on EdgeCore’s Louisa County campuscapacitymedia.com
Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.
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Louisa County created Technology Overlay Districts in 2023 to attract data‑center investments while preserving rural character. AWS’s initial projects — the Lake Anna and North Creek campuses — were approved with a 15‑year build‑out and substantial tax‑revenue projections. By late 2024, construction on the Lake Anna campus had begun and a second site near Northeast Creek Reservoir was in the permitting stage. In early 2025, AWS submitted a proposal for a massive 7.2‑million‑sq‑ft third campus, prompting public outcry over water usage, traffic and loss of rural identity. Community meetings and editorials amplified the concerns, and by late July AWS withdrew its application and officially cancelled the third project.
During the same period, Louisa County sold the county‑owned Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to EdgeCore, which plans to invest $17 billion in a 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft campus with low‑water, closed‑loop cooling. Despite the cancellation of AWS’s third proposal, two Amazon campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) are moving forward, and EdgeCore’s project underscores continued interest in Louisa County as a data‑center hub.
| Date/Period | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | Louisa County establishes Technology Overlay Districts (TODs) to encourage data‑center development while requiring large buffers, height limits and quieter water‑cooling systems; county FAQ notes that two AWS campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) have a projected 15‑year build‑out and could generate $25 M in annual revenue. | Louisa County FAQ |
| Late Aug 2023 | AWS and REB Investment Company file for a Joint Permit to build the Lake Anna Technology Campus (LATC) on 153 acres at Kentucky Springs Road & Haley Drive; plan calls for seven large data centers, two substations and related infrastructure (environmental details omitted here as Lake Anna Life sources were excluded). | – |
| Nov 2024 | Local officials confirm that AWS is already building the Lake Anna campus and has filed for a second campus near the Northeast Creek Reservoir off Route 33; the two campuses are expected to cost $11 B, create ~1,000 jobs and take 17 years to complete. | NBC29 |
| Dec 2024 | A statewide NBC29 report notes concerns from the Piedmont Environmental Council about data‑center growth, citing a JLARC report that data centers create jobs and revenue but could strain Virginia’s power grid. | NBC29 |
| Early 2025 | AWS files an application for a third data‑center campus on 1,370 acres north of the Northeast Creek Reservoir; the proposed development would cover 7.2 million sq ft and is privately owned by former supervisor Eric Purcell. | Cville Tomorrow |
| June 26 2025 | Louisa County sells its 697‑acre Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure for $42 M; EdgeCore plans a 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft data‑center campus with a closed‑loop air‑cooling system, using less than 0.1 liters of water per kWh. | Information Charlottesville |
| June 2025 | Community meetings and news coverage (e.g., C‑VILLE Weekly) highlight strong opposition to the third AWS proposal, with concerns about traffic on Kennon Road, water supply from the Northeast Creek Reservoir and impacts on rural character; Supervisor Duane Adams signals he is leaning against the project. | C‑VILLE Weekly |
| July 25 2025 | AWS withdraws its request for the third data‑center campus after hearing community feedback; the board chair says major changes would be needed for any future proposal. | NBC29 |
| July 28 2025 | Virginia Business reports that AWS formally cancels the third proposal, citing strong local opposition; two AWS campuses (Lake Anna and North Creek) remain under construction, and Amazon plans to invest $35 B in Virginia by 2040. | Virginia Business |
| June–July 2025 | EdgeCore announces a $17 B investment to build its Shannon Hill campus; the 3.9‑million‑sq‑ft facility will support 1.1 GW of power and use water‑saving technology. | REBusiness Online & Capacity Media |
Sources:
Louisa County FAQ (Technology Overlay District and AWS campuses)louisacounty.govlouisacounty.gov
NBC29 – “Amazon building a second data center in Louisa County”29news.com
NBC29 – “Rapid data center growth in Virginia provokes concern”29news.com
NBC29 – “Amazon withdraws request for third data‑center campus”29news.com
Information Charlottesville – “Louisa County sells Shannon Hill Regional Business Park to data center company”infocville.com
Cville Tomorrow – “Amazon Web Services proposes a third, 7.2‑million‑sq‑ft data center in Louisa County”cvilletomorrow.orgcvilletomorrow.orgcvilletomorrow.org
C‑VILLE Weekly – “Amazon data center sparks controversy and conversation in Louisa”c-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.comc-ville.com
Virginia Business – “Amazon cancels data center in Louisa County”virginiabusiness.com
Virginia Business – “EdgeCore invests $17B+ in Louisa County”virginiabusiness.com
Royal Examiner – “Amazon Pulls Louisa County Data Center Proposal After Strong Resistance”royalexaminer.com
REBusiness Online – “EdgeCore to invest $17B for new data center campus in Central Virginia”rebusinessonline.comrebusinessonline.com
Capacity Media – report on EdgeCore’s Louisa County campuscapacitymedia.com
Hi! I’m Jennifer Bailey and I partner with entrepreneurs who have massive ideas that could change the world. Most marketing is meaningless. Filled with empty promises, its only job is to bring in new traffic, new leads, and new customers. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand, and I’ve learned that marketing can do so much more than reach business goals and build profit. My methods give businesses the fire and soul they need to reach the right people, set the groundwork for sustainable relationships, and offer true value to the people on both the giving and receiving ends of marketing.
Subscribe for Updates
Sponsors
latest articles
November 13, 2025
New Hometown Hearing Aid Center Advocates for Cognitive Health and Dementia Prevention [Sponsored]
November 3, 2025
The Rustic Tavern’s Opening Delayed Amid Continuous Health Department Reviews
October 30, 2025
1st Annual Karaoke Contest at The Lounge on Lake Anna
October 29, 2025
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October 29, 2025
Louisa Leads in Hometown Spirit
October 29, 2025
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