Spotsylvania County backs call for statewide moratorium on data centers
The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to support State Senator Glen Sturtevant's call for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to issue a statewide moratorium on data centers. Concerns were raised regarding the strain data centers place on Virginia's energy and water resources, which local zoning decisions cannot adequately address. The governor's office has not yet responded to the request.
The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors recently voted 4-2 to endorse State Senator Glen Sturtevant's request for Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to implement a statewide moratorium on data center development. Supervisors Drew Mullins and Deborah Frazier voted against the resolution, which passed amid growing concerns over the environmental and resource impact of data centers.
Senator Sturtevant, a Republican representing Chesterfield County, stated that data centers' demands on water and electricity, along with the need for new transmission lines, affect communities across the state and cannot be sufficiently managed through local zoning decisions. Spotsylvania County Supervisor David Goosman supported this view, expressing worries about power generation capacity and increased electric bills for residents.
Virginia currently hosts over 600 data centers, with hundreds more in the development pipeline. While these facilities provide significant tax revenue, their energy and water consumption are nearing a critical point. Governor Spanberger's office has not yet responded to the call for a moratorium; she has previously advocated for preserving data center tax breaks, considering the industry an economic benefit to Virginia. Spotsylvania County alone has eight data centers underway, with more expected.