From Friends of the Rappahannock- No more data center permit applications should be accepted while Virginia’s leaders pause to plan and manage the challenges already in front of us. The General Assembly and Gov. Spanberger must take action.
The growing data center industry impacts no state more than Virginia. While we should be doing more to protect our citizens and natural resources from these facilities and associated infrastructure, Virginia lawmakers are dragging their feet.
After months of back-and-forth and failed negotiations, the House and Senate have unveiled their competing budget proposals, and neither meets the moment in reining in the data center industry.
The House creates a “commission” to develop policy solutions, walking back a prior commitment to reform the state’s tax breaks for data centers and implement strong environmental standards. The Senate implements a “pay-to-pollute” model that will do little to make the industry clean up its act.
The General Assembly and Governor are failing Virginians by not taking the decisive, bold action that they promised and that we deserve.
With lawmakers still miles apart on how to move forward with addressing the challenges this industry brings to Virginia, it’s clear that our leaders need to take a step back.
This is why we need to pause all permit applications for new data centers and associated infrastructure until Virginia has strong guardrails in place that protect communities and safeguard our water and land resources.
We’ve already studied this issue through the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), and the harms of the industry in terms of pollution, water usage, higher energy bills, and negative impacts on local communities are well-documented.
We need solutions now, and we need to hit pause on any additional data center permit applications being accepted until they pass meaningful reforms.
The General Assembly must step up and protect its constituents.
Contact your state elected officials today and tell them meaningful action is needed!