BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Botetourt County residents came together this weekend to discuss the proposed Google data center planned for the area. The meeting was hosted by the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Group and Botetourt Conservatives and Independent Thinkers, who joined forces to address community concerns.
Brandy Okeefe, a Botetourt County resident, said the gathering was about coming together as a community to find answers. “Still just more and more questions than answers,” she said. “Today was us just getting together and figuring out who can participate, who wants to contribute, and just come together as a community and try to figure this out all as one group.”
Some attendees expressed worries that the data center would take up too much land, while others were concerned about the potential for excessive water use by the facility.
The meeting highlighted the community’s desire for transparency and collaboration as they weigh the impact of the proposed Google data center on Botetourt County.