Prince William County, VA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Moratoriums (2026)

Rather than pausing data center permitting for a fixed period the way a moratorium would, Prince William County wrote a standing exclusion directly into Part 509 of the Zoning Ordinance. Section 32-509.06 states plainly that data centers 'shall be prohibited in agricultural, residential, PMR, B-2, B-3, and V districts,' covering the county's A-1 Agricultural district, every residential zoning classification, the Planned Mixed Residential (PMR) district, B-2 Community Business, B-3 Regional Business, and the Village (V) district created for the Potomac Communities area. This sits alongside the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District that Ord.

No. 16-21 (adopted May 17, 2016) created in Section 32-509.01 to promote data centers only 'within areas of the County where there is existing infrastructure that could adequately support the proposed use' while 'limiting negative impacts to communities'; Section 32-509.06 is the categorical backstop to that stated purpose. Because the ban is written into the permanent district list rather than as a time-boxed hold, it does not expire on its own and cannot lapse the way a moratorium would. Changing it requires the Board of County Supervisors to amend Part 509 by ordinance, the same process Section 32-509.02(2) uses to create or expand the overlay itself, meaning any repeal or carve-out has to go through a full public rezoning-style process rather than simply running out.

Data centers instead remain limited to the by-right zones of Section 32-509.03, O(L), O(H), O(M), O(F), M-1, M-2 and M/T, plus designated office or industrial land bays in the PBD and PMD planned districts, or to a special use permit path in the underlying district under Section 32-509.05.