PWC DCOZOD Reform (DPA2026-00006)
Prince William County, VA Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District Reform (DPA2026-00006)
Prince William County, VA · PWC DPA2026-00006 (DCOZOD amendment), BOS unanimous adoption September 22, 2026
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Takes effect
- October 22, 2026
- Applies to
- Data center developers seeking new approvals in Prince William County, VA
- Enforced by
- Prince William County Planning Office / Board of County Supervisors
The Prince William County Board of County Supervisors voted UNANIMOUSLY (8-0) on September 22, 2026 to adopt DPA2026-00006, a comprehensive plan and zoning text amendment that substantially reduces and redefines the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District (DCOZOD) created in 2016. Most future data center projects in the county now require a special use permit rather than the former by-right approval. Only parcels meeting one or more of five county-defined eligibility pathways remain in the overlay. A 90-day grace period allows developers who want to build under the old by-right rules to file applications before the new requirements take effect, roughly until December 21, 2026.
Who is protected: Prince William County, VA residents
Legal detail
DPA2026-00006 (Comprehensive Plan Amendment + Zoning Text Amendment). ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (8-0) by the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors on September 22, 2026. The amendment substantially reduces but does not entirely eliminate the DCOZOD; limits the overlay to parcels meeting one or more of five county-defined eligibility pathways; and requires most future data center projects to obtain a special use permit (SUP) rather than proceeding by-right. 90-day grace period for developers to file applications under old by-right rules closes approximately December 21, 2026. Grandfathering: projects with approved site plans above the quality-control threshold remain in the overlay. Timeline: June 9, 2026 Board direction (Supervisor Gordy, Brentsville District) → Planning Commission 5-2 recommendation July 15, 2026 → BOS unanimous adoption September 22, 2026. The DCOZOD was created in 2016 to attract data center investment to the Route 28 Tech Corridor; the 2026 reform follows community pushback over density, grid strain, and water consumption. Effective date estimated at 30 days post-adoption (~October 22, 2026) per standard PWC ordinance procedure.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Prince William County, VA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | September 22, 2026 |
| Citation | PWC DPA2026-00006 (DCOZOD amendment), BOS unanimous adoption September 22, 2026 |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| Legal analysis | The Window for By-Right Data Center Development — Venable LLP (September 2026) |
More AI rules in Prince William County, VA
- PW Digital Gateway Litigation · Blocked / in litigation
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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