Glenn Youngkin Calls for Transparency on Data Centers: "Communities Deserve a Voice"

Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has called for greater transparency and community involvement in decisions regarding data center development. He firmly stated that such decisions should rest with the local, elected bodies closest to the voters, who can best understand and represent their communities' interests.

Youngkin highlighted the necessity of open town halls and meetings to address citizens' concerns, specifically mentioning water usage, potential impacts on utility bills, and job creation. He asserted that data center developers and hyperscalers, as builders of crucial American infrastructure, have a responsibility to answer these questions and ensure communities are comfortable with their responses. Youngkin also commended efforts to require developers to provide their own power, preventing additional costs for everyday ratepayers and promoting hybrid rates that appropriately charge heavy power users more.

While acknowledging the importance of winning the global data center development battle, particularly against countries like China, Youngkin stressed that this should not come at the expense of local communities. He underscored that communities have the right to accept or reject such investments, advocating for candid and transparent discussions on water usage, power demand, job creation, and community contributions. His remarks come amidst ongoing debates in Virginia and other states about balancing economic growth with environmental and infrastructure concerns related to data center expansion.