In a post-election analysis, Bisnow spotlighted how data centers became an unexpected flashpoint in Virginia’s 2025 statewide races—culminating in Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s win and renewed scrutiny on energy costs, siting, and who pays for grid upgrades. Adam Waitkunas told Bisnow the industry should view Virginia as a warning shot, noting that the record levels of data center–centric advertising during the campaign underscore just how politicized the sector has become. Check out the full article at […]
News
Reflections on One Year of Zoning In
12 Months That Made One Thing Clear: Data Center Community Engagement Is No Longer Optional –Adam Waitkunas What’s Changed—and What Developers Must Do Next Twelve months ago, we launched Zoning In to track the fast-evolving intersection of data centers, land use, and community relations. In that time, the landscape has only grown hotter: opposition is more organized, hearing rooms are packed, and narratives are shifting to include transparency, ownership structures, private equity, and even debates […]
Zoning IN
Amid headlines blaming AI for soaring power bills, a Berkeley Lab/Brattle analysis adds needed nuance: large loads can lower average rates where spare capacity exists, while aging infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, storms, and some mandate-driven procurement are major price drivers. Regulators and politicians are responding in real time: Virginia’s statewide races are now openly about who pays for grid growth, utilities are proposing special rate classes for hyperscale users, Michigan’s MPSC is weighing stricter IRP guardrails […]
Zoning In
As local moratoria spread from Georgia to Virginia to the Midwest, a new AP–NORC poll reveals something striking: Americans are now more worried about the environmental impact of AI and data centers than they are about aviation, meat production, or cryptocurrency. This week’s Zoning In tracks a growing disconnect between industry momentum and community confidence. Dozens of projects remain paused or withdrawn amid questions about water, power, and transparency — from Jones County’s 90-day moratorium […]
Milldam Public Relations Launches Community Risk & Readiness Assessment to Support Data Center Site Selection Process
Proactive due diligence service helps developers and municipalities anticipate local sentiment early in the site selection process – reducing risk, delays, and community opposition before significant investments are made BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Milldam Public Relations, a leading strategic communications firm specializing in the digital infrastructure sector, today announced the launch of its Data Center Community Risk & Readiness Assessment, a proactive due diligence service that helps data center developers, operators, and municipalities measure and interpret community sentiment before […]
Zoning In
From Georgia to the Midwest, local governments are drawing hard lines around data center expansion — and this week, the pushback hit a new pitch. DeKalb County, Georgia extended its moratorium through mid-December while unveiling a detailed “tiered” rulebook that classifies projects as minor, major, or campus-scale and requires developers to submit comprehensive plans for noise, water, energy, transmission, and stormwater impacts. Meanwhile, St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm blasted fellow officials for signing nondisclosure […]
Zoning In
This week brought another round of sharp contrasts across the data center landscape — from community-led defeats and corporate withdrawals to zoning rewrites that push controversial projects forward. In Wisconsin, Microsoft abruptly scrapped its Caledonia proposal after outcry from nearly 2,000 residents, while just up the road, Vantage’s $8 billion Port Washington campus moved ahead despite protests outside City Hall. In Alabama, Bessemer officials changed local zoning laws to allow hyperscale data centers in light-industrial […]
Milldam’s President and 7×24 SoCal Board Member, Adam Waitkunas Attends Data Center Trends Event
Milldam Public Relations’ President Adam Waitkunas, serving in his role as a board member of the 7×24 Exchange Southern California Chapter, recently attended the organization’s Data Center Trends event hosted by DPR Construction in Pasadena. The gathering featured in-depth discussions on regional development, power availability, and the evolving design and delivery models shaping the next generation of data centers. Adam joined peers from across the industry to advance dialogue on collaboration between utilities, builders, and […]
Zoning In
This week’s Zoning In highlights how data center growth is reshaping policy and infrastructure across the U.S. In California, PG&E announced a $73 billion plan to upgrade transmission systems in response to rising data center electricity demand. In Maryland, a coalition of environmental and land use groups formed to coordinate responses and provide resources to communities evaluating new projects. Meanwhile, lawsuits, rezoning battles, and moratoria continue from Georgia to Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, while states […]
Zoning In
This week’s Zoning In highlights some of the hottest flashpoints in the national data center debate: township denials in Michigan, strained emergency services in Ohio, calls for public forums in Oregon, a potential moratorium in St. Louis, and environmental justice concerns in Georgia and Alabama. Communities are increasingly framing these projects around issues of water, power, noise, transparency, and equity. At the same time, broader political currents are beginning to converge. On September 20, hundreds […]






