Some politicians want a data center moratorium, but no one is proposing to stop the forces driving the demand for data centers
The opinion column argues that proposed data center moratoriums in Virginia address the effects of rising demand rather than the digitization and artificial intelligence driving that demand. It notes that several Virginia localities have enacted bans or temporary moratoriums, while politicians have largely avoided restricting the broader commercial and government uses of data that require additional computing capacity.
The column examines the growing political opposition to data centers in Virginia, particularly among Democratic congressional candidates. It notes that Suffolk and Front Royal have enacted bans, while Chesapeake and Virginia Beach have adopted temporary moratoriums, and that other localities have taken steps to make development more difficult. The author argues that restrictions could shift energy and water impacts to other states or countries rather than reduce demand.
The article attributes continued data center growth to widespread digitization and the expansion of artificial intelligence across businesses and government. It cites AI use by Sentara Health and several Virginia governments, along with state budget initiatives promoting AI, as evidence that policymakers are encouraging technologies that require more computing infrastructure even while some oppose data center construction. The column concludes that addressing data centers without addressing the forces generating more data will not solve the underlying problem.