Our Accomplishments Regulating Data Centers

I’m proud to say that we made real progress on Data Center reform for the first time! There were many attempts to pass regulations in the House this year, and a few have made their way to the Governor’s desk, awaiting her approval. Among them is my bill, HB507, which prohibits using dirty diesel generators as backup power when the grid is strained, ensuring all new data centers use the cleanest, newest technology. With over 9,000 backup generators across the Commonwealth—most of them here in Loudoun County—this bill is a crucial step in protecting the health of our residents and our environment.

Another one of my bills, HB511, was incorporated into Delegate Josh Thomas’s HB153, which strengthens the siting process for high-energy-use facilities like data centers. It requires localities to conduct a site assessment before approval, including consideration of noise impacts within 500 feet of homes and schools, and allows studies on effects to water resources, farms, parks, historic sites, and nearby forests. This ensures local leaders can make informed decisions that consider the full range of impacts these centers have on their neighbors.

I was also proud to support data center legislation introduced by my colleagues. HB323, introduced by Delegate Rip Sullivan, directs the Department of Energy to accelerate the use of waste heat from data centers, helping reduce strain on our grid and slow rising utility bills. HB1393, carried by Delegate LeVere Bolling, is a companion to Senator Lucas’s SB253, allows regulators to decide if data centers should pay more transmission and infrastructure  costs, instead of shifting them to you and me. Finally, HB496 and SB553, introduced by Delegate Guzman and Senator Srinivasan, aim to monitor and disclose water use by data centers, helping the Commonwealth and its localities manage this vital resource responsibly.

With all of that on our plates, we still managed to deliver on increasing the minimum wage, rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, fully funding vital programs hit by federal cuts like Medicaid and CHIP, expanding affordable childcare options, and establishing a prescription drug affordability board. 

As we await the Governor’s final actions on these and many other bills, I want you to know that we took the responsibility you entrusted to us seriously. It is a privilege to serve you, and I look forward to continuing this work back in the district.