Virginia Gov. Spanberger Orders Aggressive New Data Center Regulations
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced a new Data Center Accountability Framework, implementing immediate directives through an executive order and proposing legislation for 2027. The framework aims to increase transparency, protect the environment, lower energy costs, bolster the state's energy grid, and support the workforce. Key provisions include banning non-disclosure agreements, ending by-right development, and expediting data center noise regulations.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger unveiled a new Data Center Accountability Framework on Friday, calling it the nation's most comprehensive approach to regulating data centers. The governor immediately implemented several provisions through Executive Order 22 and announced proposed legislation for the 2027 General Assembly session.
The framework outlines five core priorities for data center developers operating in Virginia: boosting transparency, protecting the environment, lowering energy costs, bolstering the state's energy grid and clean energy economy, and delivering broadly shared value for the state’s workforce. Measures include banning non-disclosure agreements, ending by-right development, researching data center pollution, and requiring utilities to allocate a more equitable share of energy costs to data centers.
Immediate actions from the executive order include creating a toolkit for local governments, expediting data center noise regulations, and directing a review of diesel and backup generation operations. The order also establishes a rapid-response Artificial Intelligence Task Force. State legislators, including Senators Dave Marsden and Jeremy McPike, and Representative Rip Sullivan, praised the governor's initiative, which aims to address the widespread impacts of data center development on residents' quality of life and the environment.