Henrico County employees, including school staff, have reportedly been asked to conserve electricity after the Virginia county, home to multiple data centers, said its power costs for government and school facilities would rise by nearly 25 percent starting July 1, adding an estimated $5 million in the next fiscal year.
County Manager John Vithoulkas told employees in a June 26 email that the rate paid for electricity “will increase dramatically” and that the county anticipates additional increases “in the years ahead,” according to 404 Media and the Henrico Citizen.
Henrico has become a data center hub in recent years. 404 Media reported that the county has 37 data centers and plans for 17 more, while the Henrico Citizen reported that Henrico’s eastern corridor is now home to at least 16 facilities, with more on the way. County officials have attributed at least part of the rate increase to rising fuel costs, but have not connected it to data centers, according to the Henrico Citizen.
“To mitigate the impact of higher electric costs, I am asking that we, collectively, make slight adjustments to conserve electricity across our individual workspaces,” Vithoulkas wrote, according to copies of the email seen by the outlets. The email asked workers to turn off lights when leaving workspaces, shut down computers and laptops at the end of the day, adjust blinds to manage heat from sunlight, unplug unused appliances and chargers, and limit or avoid using space heaters.
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h/t Maremare