Environmental group honors Del. Sullivan for work on clean energy, data centers
Delegate Rip Sullivan of Fairfax County, Virginia, was honored by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters for his work on clean energy and addressing data center impacts. His proposal for a study on energy use by high-demand customers, including data centers, was deferred to the 2027 legislative session. The group also criticized the 2026-2028 state budget for not adequately addressing data center impacts, specifically an extended stalemate over a tax break for developers.
Delegate Rip Sullivan, representing Great Falls and McLean in the Virginia House of Delegates, was recognized by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters on September 1 for his legislative efforts on clean energy and mitigating data center impacts. Sullivan was one of six General Assembly members honored for their leadership during the 2026 session, specifically for supporting environmental issues.
During the ceremony, Del. Sullivan acknowledged that advocates did not achieve all their goals regarding data center regulations this year. His proposal for a study and recommendations on how to manage energy consumption by high-demand customers, such as data centers, was deferred for consideration in the 2027 session, though he remains committed to the initiative, stating, "The bill is not dead yet — it’s still of the conversation."
Other legislators, including Del. Alfonso Lopez and Sen. Richard Stuart, were also honored for their work on water quality improvements and legislation requiring PFAS testing on biosolids. The League of Conservation Voters' 2026 legislative scorecard, released at the event, revealed that no legislator achieved a perfect score, with many seeing reductions due to their votes on a state budget that the organization felt did not adequately address data center impacts or resolve a stalemate over a data center developer tax break. Sullivan and Lopez both scored 96% in the rankings.