Library
8 authorities · 61 requirement classes. Each class carries its source clause, trigger, typical duration and predecessors; a project's checklist is generated from these.
AHJ (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County, Virginia | Loudoun County | VA | 5 | 17 | Onboarded | Largest data center market in the world. By-right data center development was eliminated in March 2025; data centers now require a special exception (or rezoning) with public hearings. Loudoun is a VSMP authority (administers stormwater and E&S locally). Durations are estimates from public process descriptions, not observed county data; the playbook should be refined from closed projects. |
Utility (2)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy Virginia | Dominion service territory (Northern Virginia) | VA | 2 | 7 | Onboarded | Large-load queue of roughly 25 GW with energization dates through 2031; the Data Center Coalition told the SCC the queue 'can take up to 15 years to cycle through'. Time to power is the dominant delay driver. Dominion process step names (load study, capacity letter, construction agreement) are generic utility terms; confirm Dominion's current form names at onboarding. |
| PJM Interconnection (regional transmission organization) | PJM footprint (incl. Dominion zone) | — | 3 | 3 | Onboarded | PJM does not permit loads directly; the owner's exposure is through Dominion's transmission planning and capacity prices. Capacity cleared 6,623 MW short of the reliability requirement for 2027/28 and 6,831 MW short for 2028/29. These classes are awareness and risk items, not approvals. |
State agency (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Department of Environmental Quality | — | VA | 6 | 11 | Onboarded | Air permits for generator fleets are the third-ranked delay driver. About 8,000 diesel generators were permitted at Virginia data centers as of 2024. Pathway durations (4–6 / 6–12 / 12–24 months) are consultant estimates; DEQ's own figure for a complete Title V application is 18 months. The generator-count thresholds used as pathway triggers below are planning proxies for potential-to-emit, not regulatory thresholds. |
Federal agency (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Army Corps of Engineers and federal nexus agencies (NEPA, FAA, SHPO, Permitting Council) | — | — | 6 | 9 | Onboarded | Federal requirements apply only when a federal nexus exists (permit, land, funding, loan guarantee). The Corps Section 404 permit is the most common nexus for a private data center. NEPA EIS median was 2.2 years NOI to final EIS for 2024 (CEQ); FAST-41 coverage of the first data center came Apr 2, 2026. The trigger model is AND-only, so the NEPA screen is universal and the NEPA review is keyed to federal.federalPermit. |
Lender (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction lender (template conditions) | — | — | 1 | 5 | Onboarded | Generic conditions precedent and draw conditions seen in construction loan agreements; replace with the actual loan agreement at closing. Lender gates amplify every other delay: closing waits on final entitlements, appeal periods, signed interconnection agreements and clean third-party reports. |
Tenant (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperscale tenant specification (template) | — | — | 2 | 5 | Onboarded | Generic hyperscale build-to-suit requirements. A tenant density or generator change resets the air, noise, utility and building processes at once, so the spec lock and the change-impact review are the schedule protection, not the spec acceptance itself. |
Incentive program (1)
| Authority | Jurisdiction | State | Sources | Classes | Onboarded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia data center retail sales and use tax exemption | — | VA | 1 | 4 | Onboarded | Statutory exemption for computer equipment and enabling software purchased for use in a qualifying data center. Commonly reported thresholds: at least $150M of new capital investment and 50 new jobs paying at least 150% of the prevailing average wage (reduced job counts in distressed localities). Verify current thresholds, sunset and MOU terms with VEDP and the Department of Taxation at onboarding. Virginia reuses the statutory data center definition for its generator air rules. |