Governor Spanberger Unveils Strong New Data Center Requirements

Most comprehensive proposal in nation would boost transparency, promote clean energy and water usage

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger on Friday released a framework that would impose significant new guardrails on energy-guzzling data centers by boosting transparency and promoting requirements for clean energy and public water usage.

Data centers are already affecting Virginians in many ways—driving up electricity bills, saddling communities with noise and harmful air pollution from diesel generators, and using significant quantities of water resources. Without proper regulations, data centers pose significant risks to Virginia communities, the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and the Commonwealth’s air and waterways.

Among other measures, the Governor’s Data Center Accountability Framework calls for:

• Banning non-disclosure agreements that shield data center development from necessary public scrutiny and requiring local input and support before larger data center projects move forward
• Limiting the amount of electricity data centers can generate from on-site natural gas and closing loopholes that allow these emissions to bypass Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) requirements and sidestep state clean air standards
• Setting and enforcing water use standards for data centers and ensuring data center investment in projects that compensate for the water they take

The framework, which is the most comprehensive overall data center policy package of any state to date, also takes important steps to cut methane emissions and expedite new regulations intended to reduce the amount of water used in water scarce areas.
Virginia—predominantly Northern Virginia—is the data center capital of the world. This growth has shown no signs of slowing down, with new data centers popping up all over the state. Dominion, for example, expects that 51% of its electricity will be sold to data centers by 2035. In other words, most of the electricity from Virginia’s largest utility would not go to residential households, small businesses, churches, or schools—it would go to a single energy-hungry private industry.

The General Assembly now has an opportunity, through the 2027 legislative session, to codify many elements of the Governor’s framework into law. Legislators must continue to build on this momentum. As AI leaders increasingly warn of the potential destruction data centers are helping fuel, it is time for lawmakers to rein in their escalating erosion of public processes and energy use and water consumption.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford issued the following statement:

“The wealthiest companies in human history shouldn’t make Virginians pay higher energy bills, breathe dirtier air, and risk access to clean water so they can build more data centers. Enough is enough.

“Governor Spanberger’s actions are a historic step toward putting checks and accountability on the enormous energy and water demands from data centers.

“Virginia’s General Assembly now must act. Lawmakers should pass the Governor’s bold proposals—and build on them to go further. We must ensure that data centers are transparent throughout their lifecycles, offset their water use, and fuel their operations with clean energy.”