Vantage VA2, Sterling

Vantage's VA2 campus on Glenn Drive in Sterling is the first and only data center in Loudoun powered by on-site generation, in the words of Supervisor Koran Saines (Sterling) at an Aug. 24, 2026 town hall. Seven gas turbines run regularly next to a federal building, an auto dealership and nearby homes.[1]

The data center use was by right on the property. When Dominion told Vantage a grid connection would take years, Vantage filed a revised plan to expand its equipment yard. County staff approved it at the staff level, and that approval allowed the turbines. Saines said the Board was not told about the change.[1]

Power, generators and noise

This is what happens when data centers get ahead of the power. Misty Allen, Vantage's vice president of public policy, told the town hall the company does not expect a grid connection until 2040. Jonathan Rak, deputy director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, said that when a turbine failed this summer the campus ran its diesel generators for more than 24 hours.[1]

Vantage says it has spent $15 million on noise reduction, with results of 2 to 6 decibels. County zoning staff took 132 noise readings on 22 dates. Four were over the 55 dBA limit, and the county did not count them as violations because other noise sources contributed.[1]

A 2040 connection date shows how far behind the grid already is. Every campus waiting in that queue adds to the pressure for the next substation and the next line.

Who decides

The campus was approved through by-right and staff-level processes, with no public hearing on the turbines. DEQ issues the air permit. Supervisor Saines formed a working group expected to report by the end of September 2026, and has proposed a Board initiative on generator use.[1]