Virginia lawmakers consider statewide data center development moratorium
Virginia lawmakers are advocating for a statewide moratorium on new data center development due to significant concerns about water usage, electricity grid strain, and overall infrastructure impact. The proposal has bipartisan support, with some calling for immediate action and a special legislative session to address these issues. The move follows reports of electrical grid instability and serious groundwater depletion linked to data center operations.
Virginia lawmakers are increasingly advocating for a statewide moratorium on new data center development, citing significant impacts on the state's water and electricity infrastructure. The call for a halt has garnered bipartisan support, with legislative leaders urging immediate action.
Concerns were amplified by an exclusive News4 report detailing a massive electrical grid issue in Ashburn, where a high-voltage transmission line going offline led some data centers to switch to backup power. This event caused power spikes and dips across the East Coast, resulting in flickering lights in millions of homes. Republican State Senator Glen Sturtevant subsequently urged Governor Abigail Spanberger to issue an immediate moratorium, stating Virginia must assess its capacity to accommodate any data center development.
Democrat and Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas echoed this sentiment, calling a statewide moratorium a "serious proposal that deserves serious consideration." Furthermore, Republican Senator Richard Stuart and Democrat Senator Russ at Perry sent a joint letter to Governor Spanberger, advocating for a special legislative session to address critical groundwater supply issues exacerbated by data centers' massive water usage, based on a recent Department of Environmental Quality report. The Data Center Coalition, an industry lobbying group, however, warned that moratoriums signal an area is "closed for business." The Governor's office has yet to respond.