Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Feb 20, 2026

  Piedmont Environmental Council — February 19, 2026

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) hosted a public meeting to update the community on the proposed Rapidan River–Clark Mountain Rural Historic District and the draft nomination to the Virginia Landmarks Register/National Register.

  • Main announcement: PEC (with the Fairfield Foundation) presented the draft National Register nomination for a 42,000-acre (65 sq mi) district spanning Orange, Madison, and Culpeper Counties, documenting 611 contributing buildings and 786 contributing resources in total; formal submission to the state is expected within 1–2 weeks, with state review ~3–4 months and an overall 9–12 month target for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register.
  • Background and details: PEC led the project initiation and community outreach, Fairfield Foundation completed the survey and draft nomination, the effort emphasized documenting underrepresented resources (notably free Black communities), the listing is an honorary designation (opens voluntary incentives like easements and tax credits), and listing triggers additional state/federal review for projects such as transmission lines or data centers but does not impose automatic restrictions on private property owners.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  This article analyzes shifting patterns in data center site selection in the United States and is an analytical overview rather than a new corporate or government announcement.

  • Main finding: Data center site selection is diversifying as power capacity expansion, long-haul fiber, streamlined permitting, and incentives reduce legacy clustering in hubs such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, and the greater Chicago area.
  • Drivers and trade-offs: The piece outlines six selection factors — Infrastructure, Demand Proximity, Economics, Governance, Risk and Resilience, and Community and Social License — and cites emerging markets in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Mississippi, alongside growing urban hubs like Boston and Denver.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  The article analyzes a shift in U.S. data center site selection toward greater geographic diversity, including more rural builds.

  • Main finding: The piece argues that as regions expand power capacity, extend long‑haul fiber, and streamline permitting and incentives, legacy hub advantages (e.g., Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, greater Chicago) are weakening and site selection is diversifying toward a wider set of geographies, including rural areas.
  • Supporting details: The analysis lists core site-selection factors — infrastructure, demand proximity, economics, governance, risk and resilience, and community/social license — and cites emerging growth markets and examples such as parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Utah, while noting new urban hubs like Boston and Denver; it also references multi-decade grid requirements and decades of legacy investment in hubs.
• Feb 18, 2026

  Tenaska Developer Continues to Push for Power Plant

  Expedition Generation Holdings (Tenaska) has appealed the Fluvanna County Planning Commission’s finding that its proposed gas generation plant is not in “Substantial Accord” with the county Comprehensive Plan; the Planning Commission will review a proposed stack height code amendment and the Special Use Permit request at a special meeting on Feb. 24, 2026.

  • Main action: Tenaska (via Expedition Generation Holdings, LLC) is seeking approval to build a second gas-fired power plant in Fluvanna County; the Planning Commission special meeting is on Tuesday, Feb. 24 @ 7 p.m. at Carysbrook Performing Arts Center, 8880 James Madison Hwy, Fork Union, Va to review (1) a proposed county code amendment to allow higher stack height for power production plants and (2) a Special Use Permit to allow the gas generation plant.
  • Background and details: The Southern Environmental Law Center commissioned a study by the Dominici Lab at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finding the plant would increase PM2.5 exposure affecting 4+ million people and raise risks of heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, pneumonia, and premature death; Tenaska claims the plant could power up to 1.5 million homes, and energy could be transmitted via a proposed ~115-mile 765-kV transmission line that may serve data centers in central and northern Virginia.
• Feb 18, 2026

  Could Texas Overtake Northern Virginia as the Data Center Capital?

  JLL’s latest market analysis reports a structural expansion of the North American data center industry driven by hyperscale and AI demand, with vacancy rates at 1% for the second consecutive year.

  • Key findings & figures: JLL reports 39 GW active capacity and a 35 GW pipeline across North America, with vacancy at 1%; nearly two-thirds of new capacity is being built outside traditional hubs. Texas has 6.5 GW under construction and could overtake Northern Virginia by 2030; there are >10 developments exceeding 1 GW, rents rose 9% in 2025 (and 60% since 2020), most new leases include annual escalations ≥3%, and tenants are targeting deliveries in 2027 or later.
  • Power, timelines & market shifts: Hyperscalers (the top five cloud providers) plan $710 billion in 2026 capex supporting ~35 GW global capacity; OpenAI and Anthropic account for ~10 GW of announced projects. The report highlights grid interconnection timelines of 4+ years, utilities-delivered capacity expected late 2028–2029, and developers pursuing behind-the-meter generation, microgrids, phased deployments, and early collaboration with utilities and governments to accelerate delivery.
• Feb 13, 2026

  The 50 States of Power Decarbonization: States and Utilities Navigate Large Load Customer Demand in 2025

  The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) released its 2025 Annual Review and Q4 2025 edition of the 50 States of Power Decarbonization report.

  • Report release & headline findings: The NCCETC released the 2025 annual review and Q4 2025 quarterly report, finding 49 states plus Puerto Rico took a total of 667 actions on electric power decarbonization and resource planning in 2025; 37 states took 104 actions related to large load customers. The report highlights top trends including new large-load tariffs, increased natural gas capacity additions, state-led procurement of energy storage, and consideration of advanced nuclear.
  • Background & concrete details: The release documents integrated resource plan filings showing planned capacity additions of 144,405 MW solar, 125,016 MW natural gas, 58,581 MW storage, 58,381 MW wind, and 56,475 MW planned coal retirements in 2025; it notes 400 actions tracked in Q4 2025 plus more than 270 introduced bills, and calls out surging data center development driving large-load policy responses.
• Feb 12, 2026

  Demanding Answers from FirstEnergy: Impacts of Page-Sperryville Transmission Line Upgrade Project

  Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) updates on FirstEnergy’s Page-Sperryville Transmission Line Rebuild Project and requests public support for proposed Rappahannock County ordinance requiring special exceptions for new or expanded substations.

  • Project specifics and transparency concerns: FirstEnergy proposes a ~14-mile rebuild of the 138 kV Page–Sperryville line between Luray and Sperryville; initial public materials showed pole heights of 65–95 feet but a letter to Delegate Michael Webert stated some poles could be as tall as 115 feet. FirstEnergy says the upgrade is a wreck-and-rebuild to replace end-of-life equipment and intends to file with the Virginia SCC in Q1; visual simulations and an environmental impact study are being finalized and will be made public with the siting application.
  • Local actions and procedures: PEC urges supporters to submit comments to the SCC once the filing is public and to send letters of support to the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission for a proposed ordinance that would require a special exception for new or expanded substations; the Planning Commission public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18, and the Board will hear the ordinance no earlier than Monday, Mar. 2.
• Feb 12, 2026

  Data Centers Face Growing Policy Headwinds

  Jefferies’ Washington Strategy team published a note analyzing how growing political opposition to data center expansion could translate into policy action.

  • Main announcement/analysis: Jefferies outlines bipartisan scrutiny of data center growth (including the Trump Administration, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Richard Blumenthal) and reports that six states have proposed some form of data center moratorium with several measures extending through late 2029; Microsoft has launched a “Community-First AI Infrastructure” plan and pledged to cover incremental electricity costs for consumers in areas where Microsoft is building data centers.
  • Background and policy levers: The note catalogs potential policy responses including federal permitting/energy dominance changes (e.g., easing Bureau of Land Management permitting), cost allocation moves like Ohio’s rule to require large power users to cover 85 percent of capacity costs, state tax incentive reform, expanded consumer energy support or electricity price caps, DOE asking FERC to develop grid connection rules, and the pending Prince William Digital Gateway court hearing scheduled for February 23–24. This is an analytical note referencing existing announcements and policy proposals rather than a single new government policy announcement.
• Feb 12, 2026

  Take Action: HB1122 Would Give More Power to Developers at the Expense of Communities

  Piedmont Environmental Council (John McCarthy) is urging supporters to oppose House Bill 1122 ahead of a committee vote on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9:00 a.m. in the House Counties, Cities and Towns committee.

  • Main action:PECVA (John McCarthy) is issuing an urgent call-to-action asking readers to write and call their state delegates to oppose HB1122 (Del. David Reid) before the committee vote on Feb. 13, 9 a.m., because the bill would expand ‘vested rights’ and allow previously approved projects to ignore updated zoning, stormwater, and other land-use regulations, including for data centers. The email provides an online action form link and a committee contact link for immediate outreach.
  • Background and details: The message is an advocacy call (not a legislative text) describing that HB1122 would exempt prior approvals from current zoning and could impose liability for local governments (attorneys’ fees and other costs) when they attempt to apply new standards; it clarifies the bill applies to current or future approved projects (but not projects already built). The email includes links to the bill page (lis.virginia.gov), the action form (secure.everyaction.com), and the House committee page.
• Feb 11, 2026

  General Assembly Leadership Appears Once Again Unwilling to Advance Data Center Reform Legislation that Addresses all of the Issues, Not Just a Few

  The Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition held a lobby day in Richmond urging the General Assembly to pass comprehensive data center reform.

  • Lobby day details and primary action: The Coalition assembled a standing-room-only audience, met with more than 80 legislative offices, and emphasized a package of reforms built on four pillars (transparency; state oversight and mitigation; financial protections for families and businesses; tying tax exemptions to standards). More than 50 bills related to oversight, transparency, ratepayer protections and mitigation were introduced this session; several (including HB658, HB589, HB155) were heard and killed in the House Finance Committee, while others (e.g., SB253 amended by Senator Lucas, SB619, SB553, SB339, HB897) remain under consideration.
  • Background and additional details: The Coalition represents more than 50 nonprofit organizations and community groups; the release cites Virginia housing 500+ data centers and references Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro unveiling standards for data center management. The group’s priority bills include SB619/HB284/SB371/HB507 (state oversight), SB553 (enhanced transparency), SB339 (ratepayer protections), and HB897/SB465 (tax incentive reform).