Virginia Data Center Intel

Recent Virginia data center news

• Jun 23, 2026

  Virginia Approves First-Ever Data Center Power Tax

  Virginia lawmakers approved budget legislation establishing a data center electricity consumption tax of $0.011 per kWh effective July 1, 2026; the bill now heads to Governor Abigail Spanberger.

  • New tax: establishes a data center electricity consumption tax of $0.011 per kWh on all electricity consumed by data centers (applies to utility-supplied, competitive retail providers, and self-generated/behind-the-meter power), effective July 1, 2026; legislative estimates project $600 million annually (about $1.2 billion over the two-year budget cycle). A continuously operating 500 MW facility is estimated to owe ~$48 million annually, and a 1 GW campus would owe nearly $100 million before refunds.
  • Implementation & scope: the State Corporation Commission will collect the tax monthly and must develop implementation guidelines within 60 days of budget passage; the law preserves the sales and use tax exemption for qualifying data center equipment, includes a refund mechanism returning collections above $600 million proportionally to operators, and explicitly excludes data centers from a separate utility rate carveout for large-load industrial customers (which applies to facilities with demand ≥25 MW and workforce ≥200, capped at 150 MW aggregate participation unless SCC approves a higher limit).
• Jun 23, 2026

  Budget Decisions Don’t Address Core Data Center Issues

  The Piedmont Environmental Council announced that Virginia’s General Assembly and the governor are continuing a $2-billion-per-year tax exemption for data centers while proposing an “electricity use tax” equal to one-third of that exemption.

  • Main announcement/action: The PEC criticizes the continuation of a $2-billion-per-year tax exemption for data centers and highlights a proposed “electricity use tax” that is one-third of that exemption; the PEC calls for the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to assign data center infrastructure costs to data centers rather than ratepayers.
  • Background and other details: The statement notes the budget compromise does not direct allocation of costs for more than 200 substations and thousands of miles of transmission lines tied to data center demand; PEC President Chris Miller urges SCC action and references other states (Michigan, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont) that have proposed moratorium legislation on data center growth.
• Jun 23, 2026

  Data Centers Take Training into Their Own Hands Amid Talent Shortages

  Data center operators and vendors are launching in-house workforce development programs to address a growing shortage of technicians, engineers, electricians, and commissioning specialists that threatens project timelines and operations.

  • Main announcement: Companies including Digital Realty (New Hire Accelerate Pathways with DCD Academy), Johnson Controls (expanded JADEC training and development center), Kao Data (Critical Careers program), and Yondr (scholarships in Toronto, Northern Virginia, Belfast, and Slough) are rolling out structured training, apprenticeships, certifications, and partnerships with community colleges to create standardized, hands-on pipelines for data center roles; the industry is projected to need an additional 140,000 skilled workers by 2030.
  • Background and details: Programs emphasize hands-on learning, standardized onboarding, and modular training that blends vendor certification with facility experience; Digital Realty also partners with Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to build local skills pathways. Initiatives target hard-to-fill roles such as electrical engineers, commissioning engineers, HVAC/thermal specialists, and networking for AI fabrics, with implementation focused on employer-led upskilling and local recruitment rather than changes to four-year degree pipelines.
• Jun 19, 2026

  Fauquier Updates + Developments to Watch – Summer 2026

  PEC reports multiple development proposals in Fauquier County, including Dominion Energy’s 85-acre purchase near the Morrisville substation, PointOne’s revised Remington Tech Park fuel-cell power plan, and Williams Co.’s proposed Quantico Lateral gas pipeline.

  • Main actions and specifics:Dominion Energy purchased 85 acres adjacent to the Morrisville substation and is signaling plans to expand the existing substation or add a second substation; Dominion previously withdrew a local expansion proposal, then filed a CPCN with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to advance the project despite local opposition. PointOne submitted revised Remington Tech Park plans proposing natural gas fuel cells instead of turbines; the Fauquier Board of Supervisors could hear the fuel-cell application as soon as July 9. Also, 760 of Longwood Farm’s 774 acres has been protected by conservation easement.

  • Background and related details: The proposed Joshua Falls-Yeat 750 kV transmission project would run up to 115 miles across multiple Piedmont counties (to serve data center demand); the Remington Digital Campus application is now about half the originally proposed 2.2 million sq ft and the developer claims a Dominion power commitment (no onsite primary power). Williams Co. has contacted landowners offering $500 for survey access related to the Power Express Expansion Project – Quantico Lateral; Protect Catlett is organizing local response. Planning Commission review of Remington Digital is expected in July 2026.

• Jun 19, 2026

  Episode for June 19, 2026

  Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon.

  • Governor Shapiro’s office offered to streamline permitting for Amazon: Investigative reporting by Jael Holzman (Heatmap News) examined emails between the Governor’s office and Amazon revealing outreach to court new data centers as public opposition to AI data centers in Pennsylvania has grown. Key entity: Office of Governor Josh Shapiro; reporter: Jael Holzman; action: offer to streamline permitting for Amazon (reported, based on reviewed emails).
  • Other environmental actions and notices described: the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comment on a proposed wastewater discharge permit for the Rustic Ridge coal mine that would allow 2.8M gallons of treated wastewater into a Laurel Highlands trout stream; coverage also highlights the American burying beetle recovery effort, the century-old fire tower wildfire-detection system, and a coalition of conservation groups in Westmoreland County seeking property owners to support monarch butterflies.
• Jun 18, 2026

  FirstEnergy to Update Rappahannock Board on Page-Sperryville Line Upgrade Project

  PEC (Piedmont Environmental Council) has called on the Rappahannock community to attend the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors meeting on July 6 to press FirstEnergy for greater transparency on the Page–Sperryville transmission line rebuild and to request a cost estimate for undergrounding at U.S. Route 211.

  • Main action: PEC is urging public attendance at the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors update meeting so citizens can question FirstEnergy about the proposed 14-mile, 138-kV Page–Sperryville rebuild and demand a cost estimate for undergrounding the line at the U.S. Route 211 entrance to historic Sperryville.

    • Date/Time: Monday, July 6 at 2 p.m.
    • Location: Regular daytime supervisors’ meeting (Rappahannock Board of Supervisors — see county board page).
    • Agenda/Subject: FirstEnergy and Rappahannock Electric Coop will give an update; public forum available for questions and concerns.

  • Background and details: PEC states FirstEnergy has refused to provide substantive planning details (saying “this information will be available when our application is made to the SCC”), has declined a mediated Q&A, and only asserted that “putting the line underground would greatly increase costs and could create more impacts for landowners.” PEC notes FirstEnergy is expected to file with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) this summer, requests exploration of undergrounding the visible section at U.S. Route 211, and also urges contacting the Virginia General Assembly and Governor Spanberger to pause new data center approvals and end the $1.9 billion tax exemption.

• Jun 18, 2026

  How FERC’s Large-Load Interconnection Actions Help Address Grid Stress, Improve Affordability

  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a major national policy to speed and reform large-load interconnection following U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s directive.

  • Main announcement:FERC has established a national framework to accelerate large-load interconnection: customers can fund their own network upgrades, offer flexible load, and in some cases proceed with study periods as short as 60 days per Secretary Wright’s directive. The action is presented as a formal policy change and implementation pathway rather than an historical recap.
  • Details & context: The blog post is a corporate commentary/announcement endorsing the policy and describing industry responses: it cites Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory findings (≈$0.06/kWh reduction correlated with 10% higher state consumption), PG&E forecasts (each new 1 GW of data center load could reduce rates 1–2%), and announces NVIDIA and Emerald AI will begin commercial deployment later this year of flexible AI factories that bring generation and grid-responsive load to the system.
• Jun 17, 2026

  Missouri Emerges as the Next Hyperscale Frontier Amid Growing Power Demands

  Amazon has announced plans to invest $10 billion in a new data center campus in Montgomery County, Missouri, following Google’s prior $15 billion Montgomery County announcement, bringing recent hyperscale commitments in the county to $25 billion.

  • Main announcement and project details: Amazon announced a $10 billion data center campus (Project Green) near New Florence on a roughly 1,000-acre site; the company said the project will create more than 400 full-time jobs and thousands of construction positions, pay 100% of utility infrastructure extension costs, not receive discounted electric rates, and design cooling to use water-based systems <7% of the year; construction activities reportedly began in April.
  • Background and implementation context: This follows Google’s $15 billion Montgomery County data center announcement (combined $25 billion); analysts cited power and economics as drivers as hyperscalers seek new markets; Missouri Governor Kehoe issued Executive Order 26-02 (Jan 2026) directing the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to review energy regulations and infrastructure planning with a report due Nov 30, 2026.
• Jun 16, 2026

  Google Invests $1.5 Billion in Alabama Data Center Expansion

  Google has announced a $1.5 billion expansion of its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus (announced June 16, 2026).

  • Main announcement: Google will invest $1.5 billion to expand its Jackson County, Alabama data center campus on the former Widow’s Creek coal plant site, repurposing existing infrastructure and electrical lines; the company has contracted to bring 300 MW of new power capacity to the Tennessee Valley region and will cover full costs of the power and infrastructure driven by its operations in line with the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
  • Background & complementary actions: Google is launching a $2 million Energy Impact Fund (in partnership with TVA and the Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama) to support weatherization and energy-efficiency services for local schools and income-qualified households primarily in Jackson County; the company also plans to train more than 130,000 Alabamians in digital skills in collaboration with 150+ organizations. The article is an active announcement by Google and references a prior 2025 partnership with Kairos Power and TVA to supply up to 50 MW of advanced nuclear power to data centers in Tennessee and Alabama.
• Jun 15, 2026

  Greene County Summer Updates

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) reports multiple local actions: Greene County has begun updating its comprehensive plan; PEC and partners permanently protected a 274-acre farm; GO Virginia is advancing a U.S. Route 29 “Innovation Corridor”; and Greene County began initial construction phases of the White Run Reservoir in December 2025.

  • Main announcement: PEC notes that Greene County has begun updating its comprehensive plan (completion expected 2028), and PEC will advocate for a purchase of development rights program, riparian buffer protections, and rural protections as part of the process. The update will guide land use, infrastructure, housing, transportation, zoning and subdivision ordinance updates.
  • Other concrete actions/details: PEC developed and financed a project that secured an agricultural conservation easement permanently protecting Long Acre Farm (274 acres) with funding from American Farmland Trust, NRCS Agricultural Land Easement program, and Virginia Land Conservation Foundation; Greene County broke ground Dec 2025 on initial White Run Reservoir phases (raw water line, intake, pump station); GO Virginia seeks to create an Innovation Corridor along U.S. Route 29 spanning Fauquier → Culpeper → Orange → Greene → Albemarle/Charlottesville, and CVPED will release a Strategic Roadmap to identify competitive advantages and actionable steps.