ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — As data center growth explodes across Virginia, pressure is mounting on Gov. Abigail Spanberger to put more restrictions on them.
During her visit to Alexandria, 7News reporter Nick Minock asked Spanberger whether she would issue a statewide moratorium on data centers.
“We have seen localities in Virginia that may choose to, within their locality, not welcome data centers — in some cases, actually create a moratorium,” she said. “That is a local choice. There are also localities that continue to welcome data centers, continue to have projects underway. So I think, from a statewide standpoint, the thing that I want to drive on, in partnership with the General Assembly, is ensuring that Virginia is setting the highest standard possible, so that for the localities that may want to even entertain the idea of future data center investments, that they can set the highest standard in terms of water usage, in terms of noise, in terms of land usage, in terms of energy usage.”
Minock also asked the governor if she has plans to intervene in any high-voltage transmission line projects that Dominion Energy has proposed, including: Golden to Mars, Valley Link’s Joshua Falls to Yeat, The Kraken, Nokesville to Bristow, Valley North and proposed lines in Fauquier County.
“Governor, you recently announced that you are intervening in the Dominion Energy and NextEra merger. Are you going to intervene in any of the number of transmission line projects that Dominion Energy has proposed?” Minock asked Gov. Spanberger. “We’ve covered the Golden to Mars project. Valley Link’s Joshua Falls to Yeat. The Kraken. Nokesville to Bristow. Valley North. And there’s a number of transmission line projects in the works in Fauquier County. We’ve spoken to residents who are very concerned that some of these lines go through their property, through their backyards, their front yards.”
“My current stature as it relates to other SCC cases is that I do not intend to intervene in other SCC cases,” said Spanberger. “The reason that I took the far more aggressive step of intervening in the merger case is because becoming a party to the case allows us access to all of the paperwork filed related to that case. Something as massive and as unprecedented as the merger or the potential acquisition of Virginia’s largest utility monopoly for $67 billion requires, in my opinion, obviously, that we have every bit of information necessary to provide comments.”
Spanberger mentioned that she provided comment to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and the SCC decided to require Dominion Energy to develop a plan to force data centers to pay for transmission lines used exclusively for data centers.
On Tuesday night, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted to support State Sen. Glen Sturtevant’s call for Spanberger to issue a statewide moratorium on data centers.
The resolution passed 4-2 with Supervisors Drew Mullins and Deborah Frazier voting against it.
Virginia has more than 600 data centers with hundreds more in the pipeline.
Although data centers provide millions of dollars in tax revenue, the demand they put on energy and water resources is coming to a boiling point.
Sturtevant said it’s having statewide consequences.
That’s why the Republican who represents Chesterfield County wrote a letter to Gov. Spanberger calling on her to issue a statewide moratorium on data centers to determine whether development should be permitted and, if so, under what conditions.
“This is an issue that affects every corner of Virginia through the usage of water in these facilities, the amount of electricity that they need, the transmission lines that affect so many of our communities and run throughout Virginia,” said Sturtevant.
Sturtevant said these issues cannot be adequately addressed through local zoning decisions.
Spotsylvania County Supervisor David Goosman agrees.
“It’s a good idea for the localities to kind of band together and let the state know that we’re concerned about our power generation and the ability to meet all the demands,” said Goosman. “And certainly, my constituents and citizens in the county are concerned about their electric bills.”
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Actually Jacob, a majority of these events are created by recreational boaters pumping their holding tanks out into the water.…
From the spill in the Elizabeth River no doubt
"Pedestrians have the right of way." -Famous last words-
Pedestrians always have the right of way.
In other words there will be potential bike path injuries and deaths. Idiot drivers vs knucklehead bike riders vs 12…