Project Washington
Starwood Digital Ventures planned a 1.2 GW, roughly 6 million sq ft campus of 11 two-story buildings on about 580 acres north of Delaware City, but state regulators found it barred by the Coastal Zone Act and Starwood later dropped its last appeal.
Who is behind it
The record, newest first
Spotlight Delaware reported that Starwood had dropped its Delaware Superior Court appeal in early July 2026, without announcing it, two days after the General Assembly passed new data center bills. With no challenge left, the project cannot proceed under its current design. A Starwood spokesman said the company is continuing to work with regulators, labor and the community toward a path forward. (Spotlight Delaware, Aug. 28, 2026; States Newsroom / News From The States (Spotlight Delaware), Aug. 28, 2026)
The Board issued its Decision and Final Order in appeal CZ-2026-01. (Delaware DNREC / Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, undated)
After nearly three days of hearings, the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board voted to uphold DNREC's ruling. (WDEL, March 26, 2026)
New Castle County Council passed data center Ordinance 25-101 with an effective date tied to signing. That left Project Washington, which was already in the pipeline, outside the new rules. (Delaware LIVE News, March 11, 2026; Spotlight Delaware, March 19, 2026)
Starwood filed an appeal (No. 2026-01) with the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board. The appeal covers tax parcels 10-049.00-073 and 12-002.00-025. (Delaware DNREC / Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, March 4, 2026)
DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson issued Coastal Zone Act Status Decision CZA-448SD, finding the project prohibited in the Coastal Zone. The ruling pointed to 516 backup diesel generators and a tank farm of more than 5 acres holding over 2.5 million gallons of diesel. (Office of New Castle County Councilman Kevin Caneco, Feb. 4, 2026; WHYY, Feb. 4, 2026; Delaware Public Media, Feb. 4, 2026; Delaware DNREC / Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, March 4, 2026)
Starwood signed a project labor agreement committing to use 20 local unions. State Sen. Nicole Poore said she would not back the project unless Starwood generated most of its own power, and House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown said she would not support it until she was sure it would not raise residents' power bills. Starwood's CEO has said the company would not generate its own power. (Spotlight Delaware (via News From The States), Oct. 29, 2025)
The south campus (Phase 1) was described as allowed by right under its existing zoning. The north campus (Phase 2) is zoned suburban and would need a county rezoning. State PLUS review and a Coastal Zone Act ruling from DNREC were still pending. Starwood was aiming to start construction in summer 2026 and begin operating in early 2028. (Delaware Public Media, Aug. 19, 2025)
Starwood submitted exploratory Phase 1 plans to New Castle County on Friday, Aug. 1 (the date is inferred from 'Friday' in an Aug. 5 article). Phase 1 covered six two-story buildings of about 500,000 sq ft each, plus electrical yards. The county had earlier declined Starwood's request for expedited review under its JobsNow program. (Spotlight Delaware (via News From The States), Aug. 5, 2025; Delaware Public Media, Aug. 19, 2025)
Delaware Public Media reported the plan as 11 two-story buildings on two adjoining sites totaling about 580 acres just north of Delaware City, using 1.2 GW. A county councilman said some of the land is zoned suburban and would need a zoning change. A June 2 letter from the developer's representatives said the electrical design follows a Delmarva Power master plan power delivery study. (Delaware Public Media, July 22, 2025)
Conflicts and open questions
- Coordinates are approximate. They were placed off Route 9 between Hamburg Road and Governor Lea Road north of Delaware City, the site location WDEL reported. No street address is used.
- WHYY in March 2026 called it a billion-dollar project, but no official investment figure was found.
- The 516 diesel backup generators are on-site emergency generation and are not counted in mw.
- Legal: Starwood appealed DNREC's ruling to the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board (and lost), then appealed to Delaware Superior Court (and withdrew in July 2026). In August 2025, Councilman Kevin Caneco said case law suggested the developer could sue the county if the council voted down the by-right south campus. In November 2025, Councilman Penrose Hollins, a former co-sponsor of the county ordinance, questioned whether applying it retroactively was legal and warned it could cost the county in litigation.
- Spotlight Delaware reported in August 2025 that Delaware City Refinery owner PBF Energy appeared to be working with Starwood; no record confirming a partnership was found.
- No Delaware City town council action on the project was found.
The full record
- Status note
- DNREC ruled the campus prohibited under the Coastal Zone Act (Feb. 3, 2026); the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board upheld that ruling (vote March 26, final order April 17, 2026); Starwood dropped its Superior Court appeal in early July 2026, which was reported Aug. 28, 2026. A Starwood spokesman said the company is still seeking a path forward.
- Power note
- 1.2 GW stated by the developer and in news reports; Delmarva Power large-load records obtained by Technical.ly list a 1,200 MW New Castle County request that the outlet judged highly likely to be this project.
- Evidence
- Primary public records
- Size class
- 50 MW or more (tracker scope)