Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Jun 26, 2026

  Episode for June 26, 2026

  The Pennsylvania House has passed a data center ‘pause’ measure and both chambers approved repeal of the commonwealth’s sales tax break on computer equipment for data centers.

  • Main action: The Pennsylvania House and other lawmakers passed measures this week to slow data center development, including approval in both chambers to repeal the sales tax exemption on data center computer equipment and related bills tied to Governor Shapiro’s plan for “responsible” development. Brookville Borough Council separately passed a 180-day moratorium on data center development (a pause that lasts until roughly December) to give the council time to finalize local data center rules.
  • Other reporting and context: The roundup also reports that the Army Corps of Engineers‘ recent dam removal on the Monongahela River caused larger-than-expected water-level drops; researchers are trialing buoys that release an algaecide to fight harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie; environmental groups criticized recent Nippon Steel investments at U.S. Steel plants as “stopgap things to make U.S. Steel profitable in the short term”; and Pittsburgh restaurants are changing recycling, composting and waste systems. All items are presented as news summaries and local reporting rather than a single new joint announcement.
• Jun 25, 2026

  ICF Warns Grid Deliverability May Limit AI-Era Power Growth

  ICF has released a report projecting significant electricity demand growth and warning that transmission networks may be unable to deliver power to emerging load centers.

  • Demand projections: ICF projects 21% electricity demand growth by 2030 and 39% by 2035 (from 2026 levels), with peak demand up 25% by 2035; it estimates roughly 26 GW of generating capacity above minimum reliability today (≈3% of installed capacity) which could shrink to ~20 GW by 2030, and notes the cushion in PJM and ERCOT has largely disappeared. ICF also projects 445 GW of new generation additions through 2030 (solar, storage, wind, natural gas).
  • Background and near-term constraints: Investor-owned utilities are expected to spend roughly $178 billion on transmission projects between 2025 and 2028, and the Department of Energy backs plans for ~7,500 miles of new transmission by 2030, but the report warns capital spending alone will not deliver timely relief given supply chain, siting, permitting, and labor challenges; recommended near-term measures include batteries, demand flexibility, grid-enhancing technologies, phased energization, and flexible interconnection. Regions highlighted include Texas, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, Great Plains, and much of the West, and data center developers are widening site searches and negotiating energization schedules earlier.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Virginians’ Electric Bills Are on the Line – and the SCC is Deciding

  Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) urges the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to adopt a “but for” standard so data centers pay for transmission and substation costs they cause rather than shifting them to residential ratepayers.

  • Main action: PEC filed testimony (with expert witness Greg Abbott) in SCC Rider T1 (Case No. PUR-2026-00056) urging adoption of a “but for” allocation standard so that data centers pay for the transmission/substation infrastructure that would not be built “but for” their demand. The filing specifically targets allocation in the annual transmission rate case and requests that the SCC prevent residential customers from subsidizing industry infrastructure.
  • Background & key facts:Dominion Energy reported >70 GW of data center delivery requests (about 233 new substations), with contracted capacity cited at 51 GW and 27 GW committed with in-service dates before 2032; estimated substation costs are $6 billion–$12 billion. Public engagement deadlines in this matter are:
    • Public comment deadline: July 9 (select PUR-2026-00056 on SCC site)
    • Evidentiary hearing: July 14
    • Final order expected: August 1
• Jun 25, 2026

  Clouds of Data and Pollution: Gas Plants at Data Centers Threaten Public Health

  The Piedmont Environmental Council published an independent study by EmPower Analytics Group warning that the Vantage VA2 data center’s eight on-site natural gas turbines could cause substantial health damages and premature deaths.

  • PEC commissioned EmPower Analytics Group and found that when operating at maximum permitted emissionsVantage VA2’s eight gas turbines could cause $265 million–$495 million in health-related damages and 17–33 additional premature deaths over the next five years, with emissions reaching more than 2.5 million people across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. PEC notes the study models cumulative impacts and stands by its methodology despite a counter-report from DEQ.
  • Background and regulatory context: Utilities (notably Dominion Energy) face overwhelming data-center load requests totaling over 70 GW, and Dominion presented a process that could take up to 25 years for large-load customers to be served. The Vantage site was permitted via a minor source air permit (no public hearing), prompting PEC to recommend: reject on-site gas power near homes/schools; require additional approvals for behind-the-meter gas plants; and treat on-site turbines as standalone electricity-generating facilities requiring thorough public-health review.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Troubles with Transmission

  Valley Link Transmission LLC (a Dominion Energy-led joint venture) revealed a possible route for the Joshua Falls-Yeat transmission line, putting the Goodwin family farm and hundreds of other properties in central Virginia at risk.

  • Project specifics and immediate action: The proposed Joshua Falls-Yeat line would run roughly 115 miles from Lynchburg to Culpeper, create a 200-foot right-of-way, clear 2,600+ acres of forests and farms, and place transmission towers up to 160 feet tall roughly every quarter mile; the project is described as a 765 kilovolt backbone connecting the Joshua Falls and Yeat substations and is within a possible route announced by Valley Link Transmission LLC (a joint venture including Dominion Energy).
  • Background, drivers, and procedural context: The buildout is driven chiefly by data center demand (Dominion reported requests to serve over 70 gigawatts of data center load); Dominion plans to spend up to $3 billion per year on transmission projects, PEC reports over 250 transmission-related projects planned or under construction, and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is intervening at the Virginia State Corporation Commission on cost allocation disputes (PEC plans additional interventions in 2026). Other related projects cited include Morrisville–Wishing Star, Charlottesville–Gordonsville upgrades, and a FirstEnergy rebuild crossing Shenandoah National Park.
• Jun 25, 2026

  2026 General Assembly Takeaways

  Piedmont Environmental Council reports the Virginia General Assembly passed the Distributed Generation Expansion Act and related measures during the 2026 legislative session, advancing rooftop/parking-lot solar, agrivoltaics, battery storage rules, modest data center transparency, and statewide accessory dwelling unit legalization.

  • Distributed Generation Expansion Act & energy reforms: Requires Dominion Energy to build 1 gigawatt of solar on “built” environments (e.g., brownfields, parking lots); legislature also passed a bill defining agrivoltaics (signed by Governor Spanberger in June) and enacted battery storage requirements and a subsequent workgroup to define incentives.
  • Data centers, budget stalemate & transparency measures: The General Assembly is deadlocked in a budget fight over a $1.9 billion data-center tax exemption; lawmakers passed periodic water usage reports, noise studies near residential areas, a demand-response bill, and utility disclosure requirements for substations/voltage; the legislature will reconvene for a special budget session this month and PEC is seeking a seat on the related state working group.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Who’s Protecting the Piedmont?

  The Piedmont Environmental Council profiles three individuals protecting the Virginia Piedmont.

  • Main announcement: PEC spotlights three local stewards — volunteer Barry Buschow, community partner Greg Pirio, and legacy donor George Grayson — describing concrete actions such as Barry installing a riparian buffer in 2023 and pursuing a goal to plant more than 1,000 trees, Greg organizing the Sterling Community Action group after a gas-turbine power plant opened ~1 year ago 150 yards from homes (community-installed noise monitoring and an PEC-supported air quality study), and George’s long-term support including joining the PEC Board in 2015 and participating in PEC’s Bill Backer Legacy Society (first gift in 1992).
  • Background & details: The profile references PEC programs including Plantings for the Piedmont, Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, and the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows; it states PEC and partners have collectively preserved over 440,000 acres, notes media coverage (Smithsonian Magazine, BBC), and identifies community actions (meetings, noise monitoring, air quality study) already underway with PEC facilitation.
• Jun 25, 2026

  On the Ground Updates – June 2026

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) summarizes regional land-use and infrastructure updates across multiple Virginia counties, highlighting implementation of Albemarle’s AC44 Comprehensive Plan and monitoring of transmission, solar, and data-center proposals.

  • AC44 implementation (Albemarle County): PEC reports a three-year implementation of the AC44 Comprehensive Plan with four major initiatives: Zoning Modernization, designation of Activity Centers for higher-density development, creation of the county’s first Multimodal Transportation Plan, and a two-stage approach to the Rural Area leading to the county’s first Rural Area Plan.
  • Regional project updates and permitting actions: Strata Energy withdrew the Maroon Solar conditional use application in Culpeper (may reapply later); multiple data centers are under construction in Culpeper (including Databank and STACK Infrastructure’s Culpeper Technology Campus and Copper Ridge, expected to break ground this summer); Dominion Energy acquired 85 acres adjacent to its Morrisville substation (possible expansion or battery storage); FirstEnergy plans to file its application in June to rebuild the Page-Sperryville 138 kV line; Dominion posted routes for the 765 kV Joshua Falls–Yeat line with public meetings in June/July. PEC is monitoring all items and engaging in public outreach and planning processes.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Tesla, Sunrun, Renew Home announce 16GW VPP framework, focus on PJM

  Sunrun, Renew Home and Tesla have announced a framework to aggregate residential batteries and smart thermostats into a national virtual power plant (VPP) to deliver more than 16GW of flexible energy capacity to hyperscalers and utilities (announcement dated 24 June).

  • Primary announcement: The companies will aggregate “hundreds of thousands” of Sunrun- and Tesla-operated home battery systems together with more than 8 million smart thermostats and devices managed by Renew Home into a VPP that the companies describe as creating the largest VPP in the country; it requires no additional hardware, software, interconnection, water, or land from offtakers. The framework provides a single procurement point and national coverage across major electricity markets, with available capacity allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Background and implementation details: The arrangement reports >300MW available immediately in Virginia (home to “Data Centre Alley”) and projects at least 500MW in Virginia by 2030 as residential deployments grow; the parties have committed capacity to PJM’s proposed Reliability Backstop Procurement, which they say could immediately unlock over 1GW if accepted. The companies cite The Brattle Group analysis that improved grid utilisation could reduce US electricity bills by US$110 billion to US$170 billion over the next decade. Participating residential customers will receive compensation and rewards under grid-supporting programmes.
• Jun 25, 2026

  Carolina West Wireless to Transfer Mobile Network to Verizon

  Carolina West Wireless has announced it will shut down its wireless service by Sept. 30, 2026 and transition its network to Verizon.

  • Main action:Carolina West Wireless (CWW) will cease wireless operations by Sept. 30, 2026 and is transitioning its network to Verizon; customers who switch to Verizon before July 30 will receive a $150 Mastercard gift card per line and Verizon will not charge mobile line activation fees. CEO Slayton Stewart said the decision reflects rising infrastructure demands and the company pledged support for employees via severance and career services. CWW did not disclose the fate of its FCC-overseen wireless licenses.
  • Background and reaction: CWW was founded in 1991 and is owned by a partnership of Skyline Telephone and Surry Communications; the Competitive Carriers Association President & CEO Tim Donovan urged sustainable USF operational expense support for rural carriers and called on Congress and the FCC to act promptly. Links to CWW customer transition FAQs and local reporting are cited in the article.