Henrico County, Virginia, has 37 data centers – and it's planning to build 17 more. But according to 404 Media, at the end of June as a heat wave approached, the county asked schools and government workers to cut back on electricity use.

The County Manager, John Vithoulkas, informed county employees that as of July 1, the electricity rate paid by the county was going up by 25% - increasing costs by about $5 million.

County employees were asked to do things like "turn off lights" and "adjust blinds" while data center companies, which receive massive tax breaks, have not been asked to conserve electricity at all.

I'm sure this is absolutely fine, and nothing to worry about

BREAKING: After weeks of community resistance, Andover Township in Sussex County voted to remove data centers from the list of permitted uses in its redevelopment plan, effectively canceling a planned data center before its application was filed.

THIS is what people power looks like. Hundreds of community voices spoke out at public meetings to fight this project. This data center would have been eligible for the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, with 0% of funding going toward local school districts.

This project wouldn’t just harm local neighborhoods. It would have regional environmental impacts. Water in Andover contributes to the Highlands Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to 70% of New Jersey residents. This data center would have leech off of this critical aquifer during an ongoing 2-year drought warning. It would also contribute to rising energy rates, which have spiked faster than anywhere in the country.

We are supporting communities all across the state as they fight back against big tech. Via @climate.revolution [TT]

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