Frequently Asked Questions

Takanock is not a data center developer or operator. We take an energy-first approach, designing and permitting data centers to integrate with the power grid for efficiency and sustainability. Our company prioritizes transparent community engagement, cutting-edge resource management, and the use of cleaner backup power sources like natural gas.

Takanock plans to use natural gas turbines for backup power, which are a cleaner alternative to traditional diesel generators.

Our top priority is to be good neighbors. Takanock has been engaged with town leadership and utility representatives for several months as this project was sited. Since then, we have conducted outreach to several elected officials, economic development leaders, residents and others to understand their questions and hear feedback on the project.

The data center is critical infrastructure, which means not only will it support things like video streaming and online shopping, but it may also store important information for local hospitals, banks, schools, the government, and other entities.

A data center is a facility that houses computing and networking equipment to store, process, and distribute data. These centers support critical functions such as cloud storage, financial transactions, healthcare records, and national security operations.

Projects like this are very capital-intensive, which means our company and our eventual customer will be investing billions of dollars up front to get this built. In total, we expect the construction and IT equipment for this data center to exceed $8 billion. We are working with town and county leadership to ensure an economic development agreement works for our company as well as the community. Any agreement needs to be a win-win for everyone.

Our company works across the country and we are proud to have Strasburg be home to one of our first projects. Takanock has four active sites across three states, covering 1,600+ acres, with 2.8 gigawatts of internet technology capacity and 5.3 gigawatts of generation capacity.

Takanock has been working on this project for more than a year. This site was selected because it is zoned for industrial use, located near existing energy and fiber infrastructure, and adjacent to a highway, railroad, and other industrial uses, making it a low-impact location. The project is located in the northern part of Strasburg, on industrial land near major infrastructure, including a highway and railroad. This location is adjacent to existing energy and fiber infrastructure making it an ideal location for data center development.

Takanock is using a comprehensive sound model that evaluates potential impacts up to a mile away. With this location next to the interstate and the railroad, our facility is not likely to have significant impacts. The data center will employ best-available technology to reduce operational sound, making it a quiet neighbor compared to other industrial uses. A sounds study is being conducted. Once it is complete, it will be published on this website.

We know this community has experienced significant residential growth and is also facing a budget shortfall due to some of the increase in demand for public services. This project is expected to significantly increase the town’s resources (through new property tax revenue) that will support shared priorities like education, infrastructure, and emergency response.

The data center is expected to use a near-waterless cooling design, significantly reducing water consumption compared to traditional data centers. Beyond cooling, the data centers will use a relatively small amount of water for employee facilities. All water use will be in compliance with local regulations and standard allocations. The back-up power sources may use water for cooling. We are working closely with the town of Strasburg to understand how much water we can responsibly use.. All decisions will be made with the community’s needs in mind and in close coordination with town and county leadership.

A data center generates far less traffic than other potential developments, such as a shopping center or other commercial use. The main sources of traffic will be construction vehicles during the building phase. Once operational, a typical data center shift will yield the same amount of vehicle trips as three homes.

Takanock has been and will continue to work closely with town leadership to ensure this is done right, and with minimal impacts to the community. We will follow industry best practices to mitigate noise, dust, and traffic disruptions during construction. Construction will be done during daylight hours and avoiding Sundays. We are also committed to ongoing engagement with local leaders and residents to address any concerns that may arise.

Shenandoah County has very few properties that are "use-by-right" for data centers, meaning further development in the area, while possible, will likely be limited.

We have worked closely with the local utility to determine that they can serve our needs. There is no indication that this project would cause utility rates to rise, and any costs associated with our power use — including upgrading existing transmission lines that will benefit the entire region — will be borne by Takanock or our eventual customer. The data center is designed to integrate with the grid efficiently and even has the long-term potential to return unused power to the grid, which can help stabilize local energy needs. The facility's reliance on natural gas infrastructure (as an alternative to diesel) also reduces strain on traditional electricity sources.

The project will create hundreds of construction jobs and several permanent positions that pay above the regional average wage. Potential jobs at this site include security contractors, front office personnel, data center technicians, facility engineers, electricians, production and project managers, supply chain and logistics specialists, operations managers, network engineers, foremen, and controls engineers. Where possible, we will encourage the eventual data center operator to utilize local labor and hire local subcontractors.

Independent third-party studies have determined that there are minimal impacts on wetlands, endangered species, cultural resources, or other environmental considerations. The project also incorporates near-waterless cooling technology for the data center, advanced noise reduction measures, and cleaner backup generation to minimize emissions.