Data center bills stack up before Virginia legislature meets in January
Virginia lawmakers have their eyes set on January's new legislative session and a slew of bills related to data center regulations, meant to protect rural resources, are already piling up. One bipartisan bill proposes a data center moratorium . It would block localities, the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission from approving such development until mid-2030. It coincides with the governor's push for permitting transparency and making data centers share transmission costs. Elena Schlossberg, executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, said Virginia has to hit the pause button, noting the rapid growth of the facilities affects power grid needs here and in other states. "Our house is on fire and the way that you stop a fire, first and foremost, is you remove the accelerant. In case nobody has noticed, Virginia is in a crisis and our crisis is causing a crisis in other places. We are not siloed in Virginia," Schlossberg stressed. Data center pushback is prominent in smaller towns amid concerns about water and land use impacts. The industry argued the facilities are economic boons for communities, generating more than $5 billion in state and local taxes. Local unions like the
