Enough is Enough: Tell Lawmakers to Pause Data Centers in Virginia

Pause Data Center Development in Virginia

As your constituent, I’m writing to express my concerns over data center development in Virginia and strongly urge you to support a pause on development until well-documented environmental impacts can be addressed through comprehensive statewide requirements. . Virginians are tired of being Big Tech’s data center hub. A recent poll by the Washington Post found that only 35% of residents would be comfortable living next to a data center, a sharp decline from 69% only three years ago. This fall in support will only continue to grow until safeguards for our water, air, and communities are in place. Proximity to data centers is only one part of the equation. The unprecedented growth of data centers is putting enormous pressure on Virginia’s communities, electric grid, and natural resources. Their massive energy demands are being used to justify billions of dollars in new methane-fired power plants and transmission infrastructure, threatening to raise electric bills for families who are already struggling with the cost of living. At the same time, communities are being asked to shoulder increased air pollution, rapidly increasing diesel generator use, noise, water consumption, and the loss of forests and open spaces. Virginians should not be expected to pay the price for unchecked growth by some of the wealthiest companies in the world. Nor should our environment be sacrificed to satisfy those companies' pursuit of artificial intelligence when the companies could be forced to be better neighbors. Virginia needs time to understand the full cumulative impacts of this industry and establish meaningful protections for residents, ratepayers, and the environment. That means ensuring Big Tech pays its fair share of all infrastructure costs, protecting communities from harmful siting decisions, safeguarding our water and air, and preventing data center demand from locking Virginia into decades of new fossil fuel development in the face of climate change. Until those protections are developed and in place, I urge you to support a pause on new data center development in the upcoming General Assembly session. Virginia has welcomed this industry for years. Now it is time for us to put our water, our air, and our communities first. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.