WYTHE CO., Va. – Wythe County recently announced that a major AI computing campus is being developed at Progress Park.
At Wythe County’s bi-weekly Board of Supervisors meeting, the biggest topic of the day is zoning for an incoming data center.
On a 99-acre tract about 15 minutes from downtown Wytheville, Solis Arx is building what they have called an AI factory. And like many areas of Southwest Virginia, some local residents are not in favor of a data center coming to Wythe County.
“I was told by many locals that they do not know too much about data centers, but based on what they have heard they are not in favor of one coming to Wythe. Water consumption is the concern expressed the most. But Wythe County has said that the data center would be using a closed-loop chilled water system, which means the site would use only 2000 gallons of water a day. Which is only 0.13% of Progress Park’s current capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day.”
The county has also assured that electrical bills for residences and businesses will not be impacted by the SolisArx project. The AI factory would be supplied by high-voltage transmission lines so it would not strain the electrical grid. Homes and businesses instead rely on low-voltage distribution lines. SolisArx will also be required to pay for upgrades and electric utilities are required to prove to state regulators that serving the large user will not affect any other customer.
Tuesday night is not the only chance for Wythe County citizens to have their voices heard. There will also be a community input meeting on March 30th at Fort Chiswell High School.