Stop Virginia’s $1.9 Billion Data Center Tax Exemption

Piedmont Environmental Council is urging the Virginia General Assembly to end the $1.9 billion annual sales tax exemption for data center equipment and to pause new data center approvals.

• Main action: PEC calls for a legislative pause on new data center approvals, an end to the $1.9 billion annual sales tax exemption for data center equipment, and adoption of guardrails from SB619 and ratepayer protections from SB339; Legislators return June 18 to finalize the budget ahead of a June 30 deadline.
• Background/details: Virginia utilities (notably Dominion Energy) have agreed to 51 gigawatts (GW) of contracted power — more than triple the current ~25 GW peak demand — creating needs for hundreds of substations, thousands of miles of transmission, and multiple new power plants (Chesterfield ~1 GW, Tenaska ~1.5 GW, Cumberland ~3 GW); PEC also highlights public health concerns from onsite gas turbines and >10,500 permitted backup generators in the state.