A Smarter Path Forward: Safeguarding National Parks Amid Explosive AI and Data Center Growth

Mid-Atlantic National Parks are at Risk

Data center-related development is directly impacting national parks and protected landscapes across the region. Concerns include:

• Degraded air quality from diesel backup generators, which at some facilities number in the hundreds, and contributes to regional haze that obscures vistas at Shenandoah and other parks.

• Explosive water demand as a single hyperscale data center consumes approximately 7–8 olympic-sized pools of water daily; over the next two to three decades, estimated water withdrawals from the Potomac River in Virginia could reach 200 million gallons per day.

• Transmission lines crossing the Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the C&O Canal National Historical Park to transfer or support power needs from distant generation facilities.

• Ruined recreation and fragmented forests if current trends continue, up to 100,000 acres of open green space could be converted and lost to industrial data center facilities, fragmenting wildlife corridors, impacting bobcats, Wood Thrushes, and Scarlet Tanagers that require large, contiguous forest interiors far from industrial clearings to survive.

Our Most Vulnerable Parks

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Established in 1940, Manassas National Battlefield Park preserves the site of two pivotal Civil War battles. More than 500,000 visitors each year use the park’s 40 miles of trails across approximately 5,000 acres. Adjacent to the park is the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway, a large data center complex that has expanded from approximately 800 acres to more than 2,100 acres, including roughly 10 acres located within the congressionally authorized boundary of Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Prince William Forest Park

Prince William Forest Park, located approximately 30 miles from Washington, D.C., is the largest protected green space in Northern Virginia and the greater Washington metropolitan area. A proposed “Potomac Technology Park” would convert approximately 52 acres within the congressionally authorized boundary of the park into roughly one million square feet of data center development. The affected area includes sensitive environmental resources, wetlands, and steep slopes vulnerable to erosion.

Wilderness Battlefield

The 2,600-acre park preserves one of the bloodiest battles in American history, with trails that allow visitors to experience the landscape much as it appeared in the nineteenth century. Over 480,000 people visit the park each year to learn about this critical moment in the nation’s history. Proposed data center development near the battlefield risks undermining this sense of place. Large industrial facilities and associated infrastructure could degrade air and water quality and disrupt the historic landscape that defines the visitor experience.

Shenandoah National Park, Appalachian Trail & Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Two proposed high-voltage transmission lines, the PATH/Valley Link (765-kV, 276 miles through West Virginia) and MARL (500-kV ,150+ miles through Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia), would cross Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and the C&O Canal National Historical Park multiple times, with towers up to 200 feet tall cutting through some of the region’s most scenic corridors.

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Policy Recommendations for Protecting Parks

Data centers are a modern reality, but rapid expansion must not come at the expense of our beloved national parks. NPCA offers the following recommendations to help decision-makers at all levels ensure that data center development does not undermine national parks:

Federal

• Require federal consideration of data center impacts to national parks and protected places;

• Oppose federal preemption of state, local, and Tribal environmental reviews; and

• Direct federal agencies to coordinate with the National Park Service on regional impact evaluations.

State

• Require state-led cumulative impact analyses of infrastructure, power plants, and transmission systems driven by data center growth;

• Institute state review and permitting for large data center projects before construction begins;

• Limit tax credits to responsible projects that meet environmental and park-protection standards;

• Ban confidentiality agreements that restrict public oversight of energy use, water consumption, and emissions; and

• Require large developers to bear the full cost of grid upgrades rather than shifting costs to ratepayers.

Local

• Reform zoning to require meaningful setbacks (at least one-half mile) from national parks, historic battlefields, and sensitive landscapes; and

• End the use of confidentiality agreements that conceal water and energy use from communities.

Industry

• Voluntarily commit to siting facilities away from national park boundaries;

• Invest in conservation and water protection projects near affected parks and communities; and

• Participate in transparent sustainability auditing and public reporting.

The Time to Act is Now

Data center development is already affecting national parks across the Mid-Atlantic and those impacts are expected to grow significantly in the coming decades without stronger safeguards. As investment in digital infrastructure accelerates, policymakers face a clear choice: lead by adopting these commonsense solutions that protect America’s national parks and surrounding communities.