NoVA Region News
Summary
Sustaining reductions of greenhouse gases and supplying efficient and reliable energy to Northern Virginia’s data centers is a complex economic and environmental process. Roughly 70% of all global Internet traffic passes through Northern Virginia’s approximately 350 data centers - the highest concentration of data centers in the world. Collectively, data centers contribute over a billion dollars of tax revenue to the budgets of Northern Virginia’s local governments.
Among various technical and policy factors capable of balancing data centers’ vital economic contributions and their rapidly escalating energy consumption is the movement of heat between sources and users via district energy systems. Generally speaking, district energy systems convey heat between suppliers and users (or buyers) between or among buildings.
In 2024, NVRC took further steps to advance the possible development of district energy systems for conveying heat among the region’s data centers. NVRC created a map that characterizes the co-location of the region’s data centers and public buildings and some potential fundamental commercial exchanges of residual heat among suppliers and users. Data Center Proximity to Public Facilities Exhibit (arcgis.com).
NVRC looks forward to working with its regional partners and the data center industry to achieving a pilot project of district energy in the region.
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