Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, and that is exactly why new sites there are hard to power. Dominion Energy runs a formal process for data center requests and now bills large loads under their own rate class. Buyers who need power sooner look south and west in the state, or across the border into Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Kentucky. Invariant sources Virginia sites off-market and lists powered sites in neighboring states.
Before you start
- Virginia is in PJM. Dominion Energy serves most of the large data center load.
- Dominion runs a staged process for data center requests: evaluation, will-serve letter if needed, then site plan, load letter and ramp schedule.
- A new rate class for very large customers changes the economics of any new Virginia site.
- Local fights decide sites too: QTS dropped its appeal on a large Prince William County project.
Sites near Virginia from our inventory
Invariant has no public Virginia listing today. We source Virginia sites off-market for buyers who send requirements. These sites in neighboring states are available now. Specs are as marketed by the owner and are checked against utility documents before any introduction.
| Region | Power | Land | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 350 MW, signed utility service agreement | Former plant campus, lease | 50 MW end 2026, 300 MW end 2027 |
| Pennsylvania | 200 MW BTM gas + 300 MW grid | 120 ready acres | Phased |
| North Carolina | 18 MW live, path past 100 MW | ~200 acres | Now |
| Kentucky | 30 MW greenfield | ~16 acres, rezoned | Now |
Exact locations, the utility documents behind each MW figure and pricing are shared on a call. We also hold sites that are not listed publicly; owners ask for discretion and a site that is shopped everywhere loses value.
Power in Virginia
Dominion Energy publishes its data center request process. A buyer starts with an infrastructure evaluation and a preliminary power plan, and a formal project then needs a site plan, a load letter and a ramp schedule before Dominion plans the service. Regulators approved a separate rate class for the largest customers, often called GS-5, which brings its own minimum terms.Dominion EnergyAnnandale Today
In Northern Virginia the constraint is transmission. Sites with power available in the next few years are scarce and priced that way.U.S. Energy Information Administration
Local approval in Virginia
Counties set the zoning, and recent cases show it can end a project. QTS dropped its appeal on a large planned campus in Prince William County after a court fight. Check the county record and any pending rezoning litigation before optioning land.FOX 5 DC
How to screen a Virginia data center site
- Confirm the serving utility and the grid operator, then ask which document backs the MW: a will-serve letter, a load study or a signed agreement.
- Check that the substation has headroom for your load under contingency. Distance to a line is not capacity.
- Screen the county and any city that could annex the site for moratoriums, recent denials and the zoning path.
- Work out usable acres after wetlands, floodplain, slope, easements and setbacks, and reserve room for the substation.
- Kill sites that are already claimed, operating for someone else, contaminated or owned by an environmental liability buyer before spending on parcels.
Invariant runs this screen on every Virginia site before an introduction and grades the result A, B or C by power evidence. Tell us your MW and date and we will send the Virginia sites that fit, including off-market ones.
Browse data center sites by size and state
Questions that come up.
Can I still find a powered data center site in Virginia?
Yes, but sites with near-term power in Northern Virginia are scarce. Buyers often look elsewhere in Virginia or in neighboring PJM states such as Pennsylvania. Invariant sources Virginia sites off-market on request.Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
What is the Dominion data center process?
Dominion offers a site evaluation and preliminary power plan, a will-serve letter if needed, and then a formal process requiring a site plan, a load letter and a ramp schedule before it designs and builds service.Dominion Energy
How do I find a data center site in Virginia?
Start from power evidence, not land: confirm the serving utility, the document behind the MW and substation headroom, then screen local approval and usable acres. Invariant does this for buyers and sources Virginia sites off-market, with nearby sites at 350 MW, signed utility service agreement, 200 MW BTM gas + 300 MW grid, 18 MW live, path past 100 MW, 30 MW greenfield. Book a call or call (628) 220-8972.
Sources and references.
Site specifications are as marketed by the seller and are checked against utility documents before any introduction. Public sources checked on . The location, equipment, and operating plan determine which requirements apply to a project.
- Dominion EnergyData center requests ↗
- Annandale TodayNew utility rate class approved for data centers ↗
- FOX 5 DCQTS drops appeal, ending plans for massive Prince William County data center ↗
- Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionElectric power markets ↗
- PacesGrid planning for data centers and transmission investment ↗
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationVirginia state energy profile ↗