What would a Data Center in Wythe County mean for you?
For decades, Wythe County has worked diligently to develop and maintain a diversified local economy producing products and services across industries and utilizing a wide range of workforce skills. This strategy insulates our community from economic swings and market shifts that impact other rural localities, including some of our neighbors. In 1999, Wythe County continued that diversification with the development of Progress Park, an industrial and business park designed to support heavy utility users, guide development and investment, and attract new businesses that contribute to the local tax base and quality of life.
As part of Wythe County’s ongoing strategic planning, data centers have been identified as a target sector for economic development recruitment for more than a decade. Progress Park has had certified data center sites since 2013, when a leading site selection firm identified the park as a good fit for those facilities. Location, electricity availability, topography, low occurrence of natural disasters, and various other data points support the concept. Progress Park provides a compelling scenario for property and power in a single package.
The existing mix of manufacturing, automotive, food and beverage, plastics and composites, power systems, and wood products industries, along with value-added agriculture, have contributed to Wythe County’s tax base, job creation, and continued investment. Our economy is stronger when it is spread across different sectors. A data center in Wythe County's Progress Park would further diversify our local economy and yield ongoing investment in significant taxable real estate and computer equipment.
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Earlier in 2025, Wythe County’s Board of Supervisors and the Joint IDA Board of Directors both unanimously passed resolutions affirming data centers as a recruitment priority. While every data center project will not be a fit for our community, Wythe County is committed to exploring opportunities as it would with any other economic development project. Additionally, each economic development project is reviewed and vetted by staff and elected officials to protect Wythe County while also supporting business development that will bring quality jobs and good tax revenue.
Many data center jobs are technology-based and typically pay high salaries. These job types are not common in this part of Virginia and would create new opportunities for current and future generations.
Tax revenue from securing a data center project could benefit the community by supporting initiatives like:
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Accelerated school construction. Schools cost tens of millions of dollars,
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Increased water and sewer infrastructure investments,
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Road projects,
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Comprehensive public safety support (fire, rescue, emergency services),
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Keeping taxes low for Wythe County residents by offsetting higher costs of providing local services.
There may be concerns such as proximity to residential areas, utility capacity, and Wythe County’s investment in Progress Park. One way Wythe County can mitigate these concerns is by establishing limits on the number of data centers that could locate on county-owned land. Additionally, careful consideration went into Progress Park’s initial development including the studies identifying two certified data center sites. Strong electricity is available within the Park, and the distance between residential areas and the certified data center sites is over a mile, creating a natural buffer from potential noise. There are established manufacturing facilities located much closer to those residential areas.
However, prospective data centers interested in privately owned land are not subject to the same project review process, as there is no zoning outside town limits. In such a case, Wythe County would hope to be involved in project discussions with developers and property owners to mitigate community concerns and work closely with utility partners to assess available capacities of electricity, public water, natural gas, and any other needed utilities. Wythe County and the Joint IDA continue to work closely with Appalachian Power to confirm available power capacity to support a data center project and there is a path for AEP to deliver it using the substantial local electrical infrastructure without impacting existing residential or industrial customers. Additionally, Wythe County and the Town of Wytheville manage area water service systems that would serve a data center in Progress Park and manage available capacity and service agreements.
Wythe County leadership is committed to protecting resident interests as it continues to strengthen community and regional economic conditions. Many best practice examples exist throughout the Commonwealth for successfully managing and securing a data center project, as well as cautionary tales of what does not work. Local elected officials and staff will continue to research data center industry trends and vet projects for compatibility in our community to make educated decisions and yield strong returns on investments that will impact Wythe County’s future generations.
