Representative Example: A high-voltage substation and backup generator array serving an existing data center in the Sully Square area of Herndon illustrates the scale of power infrastructure supporting data facilities in Fairfax County. The metal framing, insulators, overhead tubular buses, and switching equipment represent classic open-air substation design, positioned in front of a windowless data center building. (Note: Photo shows a Herndon facility and is not the proposed Edsall Road project in Mason District.)
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer Jr., D-Va., sent an official letter on July 30 requesting that the Fairfax County Planning Commission deny the 2232 permit application for Dominion Energy’s proposed substation at the Plaza 500 site (6299 Edsall Rd.).
Beyer cited "serious concerns about the potential impact of this project on residents," writing that data center infrastructure should not be built near homes where its scale is incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods. "As such, I respectfully request the Commission deny the Application," he wrote.
Tyler Ray, founder of the SaveBrenMar Coalition and president of the Bren Pointe Homeowners Association, thanked Beyer for "protecting the 8th District's environment and sustainable growth and development for the benefit of all residents."
Beyer’s letter came two days after Dominion Energy presented a technical briefing to the Fairfax County Mason District Land Use Advisory Committee, launching the public review process for application 2232-2025-MA-00007 — a high-voltage substation and 230-kilovolt transmission line proposed at 6295 Edsall Rd.
Because developer Starwood Capital Group’s underlying data center campus is permitted "by-right" under light industrial (I-3) zoning rules, the public facility review represents the only formal process for residents and officials to challenge the power infrastructure.
Mason District Planning Commissioner Alis Wang noted in a July 30 email to The Connection that Dominion’s presentation "was lacking in detail and left many basic questions from the public unanswered." She stated that the Planning Commission will decide whether the substation’s "general or approximate location, character, and extent are in substantial accord with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan."
The July 28 meeting drew a large turnout of residents, local HOA leaders from Bren Pointe, The Ridges at Edsall and Jefferson Green, and advocates from Nature Forward and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
A day before that meeting, a coalition of 33 civic and environmental groups urged Tracy Strunk, director of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, to recommend denying the application. The coalition warned that approving the project would set a "dangerous precedent" by dropping an "unprecedented utility in-fill development" in an established neighborhood. They also argued that Starwood Capital and Dominion Energy have refused to explore viable alternatives, such as co-locating at the nearby Van Dorn substation.
On July 16, before any substation approval, Starwood filed permit plans for the first of two proposed data center buildings at Plaza 500. Those plans remain pending.
Ray noted in a GoFundMe appeal that the project sits just 67 feet from homes — far below the county's average 3,049-foot setback — and pointed to state reports citing the development as "unusually close to residents."
During the July 28 meeting, Dominion engineers explained that the substation is designed to supply 176 megawatts of electricity, outlining plans for equipment footprints, height, screening, and noise compliance. When The Connection requested the meeting's presentation slides, Dominion media manager Aisha Khan declined to release them, stating they were not formal public submissions. She added, "As with any request for new electric service, we evaluate what infrastructure may be needed to continue providing safe and reliable electric service."
The Mason District Land Use Committee will make its formal recommendation on Sept. 22. On Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., the Fairfax County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and vote on the substation. Under Virginia Code § 15.2-2232(B), if the Planning Commission denies the application, the applicant or utility provider has 10 days to appeal to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which can overrule the decision by a majority vote.
Meanwhile, Starwood Capital is expanding its regional portfolio elsewhere: purchasing nearly 42 acres at 3721 Stonecroft Blvd in Chantilly for $166.8 million, the county’s former police training facility; and developing an 8-acre parcel in Herndon at the former Washington Commanders practice facility, 13832 Redskin Dr., adjacent to its 60-acre Renaissance Technology Park.