Virginia General Assembly passes budget with new data center energy consumption tax

Name: Virginia General Assembly passes budget with new data center energy consumption tax
Uploaded: 2026-06-25T21:00:00.000Z
Duration: 24 s
Description: Virginia State Delegate Joshua Cole discusses the General Assembly's debate over data center taxation. While lawmakers seek fair contributions, the recently passed state budget maintained a significant tax break but introduced a new energy consumption tax for data centers. A state study on data centers is also anticipated.

News Clip0:24The Dogwood·Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg City County, VA·6/25/2026

Virginia State Delegate Joshua Cole discusses the General Assembly's debate over data center taxation. While lawmakers seek fair contributions, the recently passed state budget maintained a significant tax break but introduced a new energy consumption tax for data centers. A state study on data centers is also anticipated.

governmentelectricity

Gov: State Del. Joshua Cole, Virginia General Assembly

State Del. Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) says most state lawmakers agree data centers should pay their share but differ on what that looks like in practice.

Cole is looking forward to seeing what recommendations come from a forthcoming state study on data centers. State budget talks had broken down over whether to end a more than $1 billion tax break for data centers.

The General Assembly ultimately passed a budget that keeps the tax break in place and created a new energy consumption tax for data centers.

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