Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Nominate a Virginia financial professional
    • Nominate A Woman in Leadership Today
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Nominate a Virginia financial professional
    • Nominate A Woman in Leadership Today
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home News Regions Central Virginia Solar power tariff helps Henrico land Facebook data center

Solar power tariff helps Henrico land Facebook data center

Published October 27, 2017 by Veronica Garabelli

Facebook plans to build a $1 billion data center in
Henrico County. Rendering courtesy Facebook

Networking giant Facebook plans to create a 970,000-square-foot Henrico County data center powered by solar energy.

The project represents a total investment of $1 billion. That figure includes the $750 million cost of the data center and $250 million in Dominion Energy solar facilities paid for through a special tariff charged to California-based Facebook and other large energy customers. When completed, the data center will have 100 full-time employees.

“When an industry giant like Facebook selects Virginia for a major operation, it’s proof that our efforts to build an open and welcoming economy that works for everyone are paying off,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a statement announcing Facebook’s plans.  “For many years, Virginia has served as a key hub for global internet traffic, emerging as one of the most active data center markets in the world. Working with companies like Facebook and many others, we are advancing Virginia’s position as a global leader in the technology economy and a world-class home to innovative companies of every size.”

McAuliffe stressed that providing Facebook with a renewable energy supply was crucial in landing the deal. The governor told Virginia Business in 2015 that increasing Virginia’s renewable energy capacity would be crucial to the commonwealth’s efforts to gain new investment from major technology companies. “They make it clear that they will not put any more facilities in any state that will not/cannot deliver renewable energy to that facility,” he said.

The governor’s office said Dominion Energy and Facebook designed the renewable energy tariff, called Schedule RF. The State Corporation Commission must approve the tariff before it goes into effect.

Helping to make Henrico more attractive to new data centers is an April decision by the county’s board of supervisors to lower the tax rate on data center equipment from $3.50 per $100 of assessed value to 40 cents per $100.

In addition to the full-time jobs created by the data center, the Facebook project is expected to generate hundreds of jobs during construction. A recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that construction of a data center of this size will employ up to 1,688 local workers, provide up to $77.7 million in wages for those workers, and produce $243.5 million in output along the local economy’s supply chain during construction. The same study also estimates an annual injection of $32.5 million into the economy once construction is completed.

Related Stories

Virginia Business logo

Colortree acquires Richmond web printer

Virginia Business logo

A healthy boost

The Vitamin Shoppe’s distribution center to bring a big dose of jobs to Hanover County

Virginia Business logo

Adam Levinson joins Capital Square Realty Advisors as a strategic advisor

Trending

Great expectations

Small yet mighty

The 50 largest Virginia charities

Va. Beach economic development director to depart

NNS announces senior leadership changes

Sponsored Stories

Are you the biggest target for cyber security bad actors?

Preparing a Domestic Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) bid in Today’s Market

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Great expectations

Small yet mighty

The 50 largest Virginia charities

Va. Beach economic development director to depart

NNS announces senior leadership changes

Sponsored Stories

Are you the biggest target for cyber security bad actors?

Preparing a Domestic Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) bid in Today’s Market

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk