Gov. Spanberger announces comprehensive Data Center Accountability platform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2026
CONTACT
Molly Moore, Dir. of Program Communications, [email protected], (828) 278-4076
Richmond, Va. – Today, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced her Virginia Data Center Accountability Framework, an ambitious platform of directives and policy goals designed to protect Virginians from a wide range of negative impacts related to data center development. These impacts include rising electric bills, air and climate pollution, high water consumption, threats to the clean energy transition and grid reliability, noise and secrecy around project development.
The governor’s platform includes many of the solutions that advocates have been calling for over the past several years, including requirements that lower electric bills for people by shifting more costs onto the data center industry, banning the use of non-disclosure agreements during data center development, enacting strong standards to reduce water consumption, and limiting the use of harmful fossil fuels to power and back up data center operations.
Statement from Appalachian Voices Executive Director Tom Cormons:
“Governor Spanberger’s approach is comprehensive – her set of solutions recognizes the scale and breadth of the impacts Virginians are facing from data centers and the rush to build more of them. Her platform centers community well being and self-determination and prioritizes the need for guardrails on the industry. We look forward to working with the governor and the General Assembly to support, strengthen, enact and enforce these critical protections.”
