Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Mar 13, 2026

  The Gigawatt Bottleneck: Power Constraints Define AI Data Center Growth

  Bloom Energy has released the 2026 Data Center Power Report finding electricity availability has become a defining boundary on data center expansion.

  • Main announcement: The Bloom Energy 2026 Data Center Power Report concludes electricity availability is now a primary constraint for data center growth; it projects U.S. IT load could rise from ~80 GW (2025) to ~150 GW (2028), and highlights major grid forecast revisions such as ERCOT increasing its 2030 data center demand projection from 29 GW to 77 GW and a possible statewide peak of 218 GW by 2031. The report also states roughly one-third of U.S. data centers may rely entirely on onsite power by 2030 and that ~20% of campuses could exceed 1 GW by 2030, rising to nearly 1 in 3 by 2035.
  • Background and details: The analysis is based on surveys of hyperscalers, colocation providers, utilities, and equipment suppliers through 2025 and documents operational shifts: Texas may exceed 40 GW by 2028 (nearly 30% national share); Georgia market share projected +75% while several legacy markets could lose >50% relative share; utilities and developers show a 1–2 year expectation gap on “time to power”; >70% of developers are evaluating onsite power providers; by 2028, 60% expect higher-voltage busways and 45% expect DC architectures.
• Mar 13, 2026

  Digital Infrastructure Boom Faces Complex Labor Crisis

  William Self of Mercer warned that labor — not capital, land, or energy — is the single biggest constraint on the current data center buildout during a Marsh-hosted webinar on March 9.

  • Main announcement/action:William Self (Mercer) stated the workforce shortfall could be 75,000–140,000 skilled workers over the next few years; he said companies must plan for two talent phases (construction trades vs. long-term operations) and build labor pipelines via apprenticeships, community college partnerships, veteran pipelines, and in-house academies. The webinar was hosted by Marsh on March 9.
  • Background and details: Self flagged geographic shifts from hubs (Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas) to emerging locales (Columbus, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Abilene, Texas; rural Louisiana; Texas Panhandle), noted a resulting boomtown dynamic and service shortfalls, reported cross-industry poaching (power/utilities, defense, process industries), mentioned a risk-based pay response to a “psychological burden” tied to conflict in the Middle East, and cited typical data center technician pay of $60,000–$90,000 annually.
• Mar 13, 2026

  Illinois to data centers: Bring your own renewables and skip the line

  The Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers Act (POWER Act) has been introduced in Illinois to incentivize data centers to build or procure new clean energy by offering fast interconnection and guaranteed access to the amount of clean power they procure.

  • Main action: The bill would give data centers a fast-track grid connection if they submit a clean energy plan that procures 80% of predicted annual demand from new clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2045, and it guarantees uninterrupted access to the amount of clean energy they pay to build or acquire; it also allows utilities to curtail facilities that fail to meet clean-energy thresholds during high-demand periods.
  • Additional details and context: The bill requires data centers to pay for transmission and substation upgrades, contribute to a public benefits and affordability fund (amounts set by peak demand), funds a compensation fund for community groups intervening in regulatory proceedings, mandates quarterly water-use reports and community-benefit agreements, and is supported by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and groups like Vote Solar and the Union of Concerned Scientists; the Illinois legislative session ends in late May and the measure will undergo consensus-building.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Why Nuclear Power is Most Viable Option for Data Centers

  Ryan Mallory (CEO, Flexential) argues that SMRs will enable on-site, self-generated nuclear power for data centers.

  • Main announcement/action: Ryan Mallory asserts that SMRs can power data centers on-site and remove dependence on grid interconnection, enabling facilities to run continuously while controlled fission reactions operate adjacent to server racks; he cites expected SMR outputs of 50–300 MW, lead times of about 5–7 years for SMRs versus 10–12 years and ~$10 billion capital for a conventional 1.2-GW plant.
  • Background and details: The commentary notes interconnection wait times of around five years, U.S. data center demand rising from 176 TWh (2023) to a potential 580 TWh by 2028 (up to 12% of national demand); examples include Oklo’s Aurora at Idaho National Laboratory and TerraPower’s Natrium in Wyoming, mentions the cancelled NuScale-UAMPS project (2023) due to cost overruns, and cites nearly $9 billion committed to SMR-related development plus $50–$75 million potential early-site permitting costs.
• Mar 12, 2026

  NTT DATA Lands 115 MW in US Data Center Deals as Part of $10B AI Push

  NTT DATA has secured nearly 115 MW of new data center capacity commitments across three US campuses (Gainesville, Va.; Chicago; Sacramento, Calif.).

  • Primary announcement: NTT DATA secured nearly 115 MW of new commitments, including more than 90 MW from a major hyperscale provider at its VA11 campus (Northern Virginia) and nearly 20 MW from three enterprise organizations (a financial services institution, a gaming platform provider, and a cybersecurity company). The company is executing a multi-year plan to invest more than $10 billion in data center infrastructure by 2027, targeting high-density compute, AI training/inference, and liquid-cooling deployments.
  • Background and implementation details: Over the past year NTT launched 10 new facilities across North America, EMEA, and APAC, adding more than 370 MW of IT capacity. Design specifics include hybrid-ready data halls, modular fan walls and CDU loops in 1 MW increments, and support for rack densities north of 200 kW per rack; the company evaluates grid availability and alternative power sources (on-site generation, natural gas, fuel cells, nuclear) for site selection.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Gibraltar data center could support DTE grid with diesel generators: Developer

  The Gibraltar City Council passed a one-year data center moratorium applying to Raeden’s proposed 100 MW data center.

  • Moratorium and project details: The Gibraltar City Council approved a one-year data center moratorium that applies to Raeden’s proposed 100 MW data center at the former McLouth Steel site (moratorium allows waiver requests). Raeden COO Jason Green said the company may seek a waiver or ask the council to rescind the moratorium; Green estimated investment up to $2 billion, planned 30–35 diesel backup generators, and projected 60–100 permanent jobs and 500–700 construction jobs.
  • Context, timeline and technical details: A town hall was held Wednesday night (reported March 11, 2026) where residents raised concerns about air quality, electricity bills, and impacts to Humbug Marsh; Raeden proposed using an adjacent Superfund property for potential natural gas generation, and Michigan regulators (MPSC) are required to file a data center tariff (utility tariff not yet filed). DTE said Raeden has proposed ideas but the utility cannot comment at this time.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Fossil generation could rise with faster-than-expected growth in data center power demand

  The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published an analysis showing that faster-than-expected electricity demand growth driven by data centers could increase natural gas and coal generation and raise wholesale electricity prices.

  • Main analysis and assumptions: The EIA produced a high demand growth scenario in which 2026 and 2027 growth rates are 50% higher than the February STEO in data-center-heavy regions, while other regions are +1 percentage point above STEO; the scenario assumes no additional generating capacity beyond the February STEO and applies an assumed +$0.50/MMBtu increase in natural gas delivered prices across regions.
  • Key modeled outcomes and metrics: Under the scenario, natural gas generation rises to +7.3% (123 BkWh) between 2025–2027 (vs 1.7% baseline), coal generation declines by 5.0% (37 BkWh) nationwide in the high case, and ERCOT 2027 wholesale prices model +$37/MWh above the February STEO (excluding ERCOT the average 2027 wholesale price is +$2.10/MWh above the STEO forecast of $48/MWh).
• Mar 12, 2026

  PJM Moves to Redefine Behind-the-Meter Power for AI Data Centers

  PJM Interconnection filed a tariff rewrite with FERC in February 2026 to sharply limit legacy behind-the-meter netting for new large loads above 50 MW.

  • Main action: PJM proposes a 50 MW threshold so that new behind-the-meter loads >50 MW would no longer qualify for legacy netting, includes a three-year transition period, and would grandfather existing arrangements for the life of their contracts; filing follows a December 18, 2025 FERC order directing PJM to create clear co-location rules.
  • Key details and implementation: PJM proposed three new transmission service constructs (Interim Network Integration Transmission Service, Firm Contract Demand Transmission Service, Non-Firm Contract Demand Transmission Service); rates/terms to be filed later; PJM also outlined a broader six-part large-load integration framework including expedited interconnection/BYOG pathways, improved load forecasting, and a potential backstop procurement process.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Environmental group pushes for end to data center tax exemption as Va. lawmakers finalize budget

  The Piedmont Environmental Council is calling on Virginia’s state government to eliminate the sales tax exemption for data centers.

  • Primary action: The Council is urging an elimination or substantial reduction of the sales tax exemption for data centers; lawmakers in the Virginia Senate (Senate budget would remove the exemption) and House of Delegates (House budget retains the exemption) are debating next year’s budget, which includes a projected $1.9 billion tax break for the industry. Key actors: State Senator Creigh Deeds supports elimination; State Senator Mark Obenshain opposes it; the Data Center Coalition warned it would “effectively halt investment.”
  • Background and other details: The exemption was established in the 2000s; Governor Abigail Spanberger is non-committal while discussing options and has floated a potential consumption tax on data center energy use; the Council cites a backlog of costs and impacts the state faces and says the subsidy is not sustainable.
• Mar 11, 2026

  Virginia Officials Debate Whether It's Time to Scrap Tax Breaks for Data Centers

  Virginia senators voted to end a projected $1.6 billion annual tax break for data centers and require the industry to resume paying a minimum 5.3% sales tax.

  • Main action:Virginia senators voted to terminate a projected $1.6 billion annual tax break for the data center industry, reinstating a minimum 5.3% sales tax on equipment and software tied to the previous incentive.
  • Background/details:Nearly two decades ago Virginia granted the tax break, which helped make the state a data center hub; the article references residents’ noise complaints, an AI boom that has strained the power grid, and opponents’ warnings the change could halt future data center construction.