Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Apr 2, 2026

  Panel discusses how energy demand from data centers nationwide will impact Pennsylvania

  The Clean Energy Group, Clean Air Council and Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania released a report titled “The High Cost of AI: How Data Centers are Reshaping Pennsylvania’s Energy Landscape.”

  • Main finding: The report finds Pennsylvania will export electricity to surrounding PJM states to meet growing data center demand, with PJM relying on Pennsylvania to supply energy to high-demand importers like Virginia (35% of hyperscale data centers); it projects an additional 24 to 44 million metric tons of CO2 by the end of the decade and an estimated $20 billion public health burden in 2028.
  • Background & local context: The report was discussed at a University of Scranton event with local officials and residents; Archbald has six proposed data center campuses under local opposition, the groups support Sen. Katie Muth’s three-year moratorium (co-sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown), and utilities such as PPL Electric Utilities perform system upgrade studies that can socialize costs across ratepayers.
• Apr 2, 2026

  Spring Orange County Updates

  Valley Link Transmission Company (a partnership of Dominion Energy, Transource, and FirstEnergy) has proposed the 115-mile, 765kV Joshua Falls-Yeat transmission line to deliver power to data centers; the project is estimated to cost $1 billion, with substantial costs expected to be borne by Virginia ratepayers.

  • Project details and next steps: The proposal is a 115-mile, 765kV transmission project selected by PJM (Feb 13) to serve Dominion’s growing data center queue; Valley Link completed a first round of community meetings, is compiling feedback, is expected to hold a second round of community meetings in June, and will then file for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
  • Local response and related actions: There is unanimous opposition from Orange County boards and other counties (Louisa, Fluvanna, Spotsylvania); Orange County School Board and Board of Supervisors filed formal comments (Mar 17 and Mar 20); large community turnouts were recorded (Mar 9 ~500 attendees; Mar 24 ~1,000 attendees or online viewers); PEC is actively engaged (public remarks, informational flyers, calls-to-action) and is also pushing the Town of Orange to require Special Use Permits for data centers and to limit data centers above 40,000 square feet. PEC references a PEC-commissioned Vantage study estimating $53 million - $99 million in annual health damages from onsite power at a Virginia data center.
• Apr 2, 2026

  Brightspeed Brings Fiber to Six Virginia Communities

  Brightspeed has announced completion of 60% of its planned Virginia fiber buildout and expansion of service to six communities.

  • Scope and progress: Brightspeed reports 60% complete in Virginia, with nearly 122,000 homes and businesses now able to access its fiber network; construction is ongoing and the network is expected to reach more than 200,000 Virginia homes and businesses once construction is finished. The company has expanded service in Chilhowie, Farmville, Fries, Front Royal, Marion and Victoria, and continues work in counties including Rockbridge County (about 1,400 locations already connected, roughly 4,600 expected when finished).
  • Funding and nationwide context: The Virginia expansion is supported by $16.6 million in federal BEAD funding to extend service to ~3,500 locations and $2.7 million in ARPA funds to connect 976 locations; Brightspeed also says it has secured more than $860 million in federal, state and local broadband funding across its footprint to support expansion to >338,000 additional locations nationwide.
• Apr 2, 2026

  New Data Center Developments: April 2026

  Data Center Knowledge published a monthly roundup of global data center developments and investments.

  • Key highlights and announced projects: The roundup summarizes multiple announced projects and financing moves, including Moody’s projection of ~$700 billion hyperscaler capex in 2026, Crusoe’s 900 MW AI data center in Abilene, West Texas (to support Microsoft workloads), Meta’s revised $10 billion investment targeting 1 GW capacity in El Paso with a planned 2028 launch, Penzance Management’s planned $4 billion investment for a 600 MW High Impact Intelligence Center in West Virginia, Aligned Data Centers’ $2.58 billion credit facility for US expansion, Digital Edge’s $665 million green loan for phase I of a 500 MW Bekasi campus, Pure DC’s 110 MW microgrid in Dublin, Prime Data Centers’ €6 billion campus plan for 550 MW, and Datagrid’s approval for a 280 MW hyperscale campus in New Zealand.
  • Context and supporting details: The article emphasizes energy and grid constraints and on-site/clean power solutions (e.g., Google + AES onsite clean energy, Concord New Energy + Bridge Data Centers barge-based hydrogen plant, Pure DC microgrid), highlights subsector partnerships (EdgeConneX + Kilimo water-efficiency program; MANTA consortium selecting MDC Data Centers for two cable landing hubs in Mexico), notes regional regulatory shifts (Australia’s new approval framework tying data center approvals to energy/resource commitments), and provides firm-level capital and timeline details where stated (e.g., Meta 2028 launch; Vietnam 200 MW AI data center construction starting end of April).
• Apr 1, 2026

  Join Us for a Q&A on Our New Vantage Data Center Air Quality Study

  PEC released a study that quantified public-health damages from onsite natural-gas power at the Vantage VA2 data center and is hosting a public Q&A to present findings and take questions.

  • Main announcement: PEC (Piedmont Environmental Council), working with the Harvard-affiliated EmPower Analytics Group, released a study finding that onsite natural gas combustion turbines at Vantage VA2 could cause $53 million–$99 million per year in health-related damages (primarily premature mortality and respiratory/cardiovascular disease), and estimated particulate impacts would reach more than 2.5 million people in the region. The study modelled PM2.5 emissions permitted at Vantage VA2 and concluded impacts are significant despite the site being permitted as a “minor” rather than “major” source.

  • Background and implementation details: PEC commissioned the analysis because Virginia DEQ and WMCOG have not publicly modelled onsite generation impacts; DEQ has permitted ~10,000 generation units in the region. Vantage VA2 was permitted and modified its site plan in June 2023 to add eight natural gas turbines, becoming Loudoun’s first data-center-scale microgrid. Digital Realty’s Digital Dulles project proposes 23 natural gas turbines (nearly three times Vantage’s) and will require a public special exception under updated county rules; PEC has requested a DEQ public hearing on that air permit.

  Event details (public presentation/Q&A hosted by PEC):

  • When: Thursday, April 9, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
  • Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Suite 104, Sterling, VA 20164
  • Agenda / subject: Presentation of the Vantage VA2 air quality study findings, Q&A with lead researcher Michael Cork, discussion of public-health impacts and next steps.
• Apr 1, 2026

  PEC statement on Prince William Digital Gateway latest legal win

  The Virginia Court of Appeals ruled against the Prince William Digital Gateway, siding with citizen-backed lawsuits and blocking the proposed data center campus.

  • Key action: The court ruling halts a proposed 2,000+ acre project planned for 37 data centers and 14 substations, preventing further approvals or build-out tied to the Digital Gateway proposal. The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) provided direct testimony to Prince William County and filed an amicus brief in the case to highlight environmental, historic and public-notification concerns.
  • Background & details: PEC cited risks including a potential 3+ GW demand signal, Dominion Energy’s attempt in late 2025 to advance two substations for the site during the pending review, alleged failure to properly notify the public, and impacts on Manassas National Battlefield Park, Conway Robinson State Forest, water quality, and historic/cultural resources. The article reports that the infrastructure footprint for the project’s energy needs was described as 100X greater than the data centers’ footprint alone.
• Apr 1, 2026

  Contracts keep many facilities safe from near-term energy shocks

  Marcus & Millichap and building energy management executives warn the downstream impacts on commercial real estate from the Iran conflict are mainly still to come.

  • Main announcement: Marcus & Millichap CEO Hessam Nadji and industry experts say that if the Iran conflict continues six more months, the resulting effect on interest rates and inflation could start to disrupt commercial property; energy-price impacts on facility operating costs are expected to be delayed due to multi-year energy contracts and utility regulatory processes. Key names and timelines: Hessam Nadji (Marcus & Millichap); Paul Krugman: oil transit takes four to six weeks through the Strait of Hormuz; Tom Flynn (Budderfly) on regulatory pass-through delays.
  • Background and details: Energy price moves cited include gas up about $1 per gallon in the past month and diesel up more than $1.50 per gallon (diesel reported surpassing $5.38/gal); many deregulated-state facility contracts run two to three years, New England has longer-term gas arrangements, and analysts cite the growth of data centers supporting AI and reshoring manufacturing as drivers of rising electricity costs. Flynn estimates many small/midsize businesses use ~30% more energy than necessary and older rooftop HVAC units can be ~50% less efficient than new units. The article is reporting analysis and expert interviews rather than announcing a new program or transaction.
• Mar 31, 2026

  North American Data Center Growth Shifts Toward Execution, not Expansion

  DC Byte has released an analysis concluding the North American data center market is shifting from topline growth to execution- and delivery-focused outcomes.

  • Main finding: The report (DC Byte) and research lead Alexandra Desseyn state that market structure and execution risk—not scale alone—are now primary determinants of project advancement across Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Canada; emphasis is on pipeline conversion, entitlement timelines, and submarket dynamics.
  • Context and details: Regulatory changes in Loudoun County are pushing development outward; winners secure power early, build strong utility partnerships, manage supply chain and labor constraints, and align with grid capacity, energy pricing stability, and connectivity; Toronto, Montreal, and Alberta are noted Canadian hubs with a large share of early-stage capacity.
• Mar 31, 2026

  100-hour LDES battery technologies from Form, Noon and Ore: how do they compare?

  This article analyses and compares commercial 100-hour batteries from Form Energy, Ore Energy and Noon Energy.

  • Main action: The article compares technical and commercial metrics for three commercial 100-hour LDES systems — Form Energy, Ore Energy (both iron-air) and Noon Energy (SOFC-flow). It highlights a major deployment reference: Form Energy’s 300MW / 30GWh iron-air project announced with Google to be installed alongside 1.6GW of renewable capacity for a Minnesota data centre. Cost targets are stated (Form: US$15–20/kWh, Ore: €16 / ~US$18.50/kWh, Noon: <US$20/kWh).

  • Background and technical details: The article summarises RTE ranges (iron-air ~35–50%, Noon 60–80%), operating temperatures (iron-air -40°C–50°C, Noon SOFC ~600–800°C likely), and system life estimates (iron-air ~20 years; Ore assumed similar; Noon undisclosed). It collates published references (Form Energy presentations, OSTI and IOP reports, Fraunhofer analysis) and notes gaps where companies have not publicly disclosed full data.

• Mar 30, 2026

  Morrissey Announces Massive Google Data Center Project in West Virginia

  West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that Google purchased land for a “multibillion-dollar High Impact Data Center Project” to be located in Putnam County.

  • Main announcement:Google purchased land in Putnam County for a “multibillion-dollar High Impact Data Center Project”; Governor Morrisey said Google will cover costs for electrical, water and sewer upgrades (including water replenishment and onsite power generation) and will cover 100% of the electricity used to power the facility to avoid energy rate increases.
  • Background and context:State policy and local response: West Virginia has been pursuing data center investment via legislation House Bill 2014 which redirects property taxes from data centers to a state-managed fund (with 30% returned to the host county, 10% distributed per capita to all counties, and the remaining 10% split between an economic enhancement grant fund and an electric credit stabilization fund).
    • Event: Community meeting on March 20, 2026, Berkeley County (hosted by Commissioners Eddie Gochenour and John Hardy) attended by over 400 residents; agenda/concerns: water usage, traffic, noise, air quality, and approval processes for large data center projects (relating to a separate $4 billion project announced in Berkeley County).