Virginia Lawmaker Proposes Sweeping Data Center Regulations
Virginia Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas is pushing for sweeping new statewide regulations on data centers, citing concerns over unchecked growth, environmental impact, and tax contributions. This initiative comes as Loudoun County moves towards a temporary moratorium and Prince William County plans to vote on repealing by-right zoning for data centers. These actions reflect growing bipartisan concern over data center proliferation in the commonwealth.
Virginia Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas announced in an exclusive interview with News4 that she plans to introduce several new bills to implement sweeping regulations on the data center industry. Lucas stated that Virginia has allowed the industry to "run out of control" and expressed concerns about data centers being built "by-right near homes and schools," as well as their environmental impact. She emphasized the need for data centers to "pay their fair share" and address environmental issues, potentially by repealing their sales tax exemption. Lucas intends to offer these bills as an omnibus package, requiring Governor Abigail Spanberger to sign them all for any to pass, though she noted a lack of recent communication with the governor on the matter.
These statewide efforts coincide with local government actions to restrict data center development. Loudoun County recently took a step towards a possible temporary moratorium on data centers. Concurrently, Prince William County's Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson stated that the county will vote to repeal existing zoning rules that allow data centers to be built "by-right" in certain areas without special approval. This change would mandate special board approval for new data centers, driven by concerns over growth and strain on utilities, including transmission lines primarily serving Loudoun County.