Spanberger’s energy plan keys in on clean energy to meet growing demand and VCEA goals
Gov. Abigail Spanberger released Virginia’s long-range energy plan, which addresses rapidly increasing electricity demand driven in large part by data centers. The plan emphasizes clean energy, battery storage and demand flexibility measures that could require data centers to help fund infrastructure used during peak periods.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger unveiled Virginia’s latest energy plan in Richmond, presenting four pathways for meeting rising electricity demand while advancing the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions. The plan prioritizes community and rooftop solar, battery storage and other distributed energy resources, while allowing limited use of natural gas technologies as a transition from fossil-fuel generation.
The plan identifies data centers as the largest source of projected new electricity demand and proposes demand-flexibility measures, including utility-deployed batteries and on-site clean energy to reduce data center power use during extreme weather. Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond said industries driving demand, including data centers, could bear some of the cost of new infrastructure. The proposals will require cooperation from utilities and the State Corporation Commission, and in some cases legislative approval.