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Things continue to move fast during the third week of this year’s Virginia General Assembly session. We’re making real progress on data center reform, but we need you to weigh in with your state legislators!
On Monday, despite a number of cancellations due to snow and ice, over 80 people attended Data Center Reform Lobby Day with PEC and other members of the Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition.
Collectively, we met with more than 50 of our state legislators and urged them to take action on the unchecked, exponential growth of data centers in Virginia.
We advocated for several bills that aim to:
- Enhance transparency around data center development in the state (HB 2035 and SB 1353),
- Protect residents and businesses from subsidizing the data center industry’s energy infrastructure (HB 2101 and SB 960), and
- Tie tax benefits to clean energy and efficiency standards (SB 1196)
Ask Your State Legislators to Support Data Center Reform Bills
Now, we need your voice. Please contact your state legislators and urge them to vote yes on these bills to make data center development more transparent and protect Virginia ratepapers.
meet with Delegate Martinez (D-29 in Loudoun).
Virginia is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers in the world, dwarfing all other global markets. Each of these data centers consumes as much power as a small city, creating a huge increase in future electricity infrastructure needs; their continued, unfettered growth will have a disastrous impact on ratepayers, our communities and the environment.
PEC is a lead organizer of a state-wide coalition of organizations and communities concerned about the impacts of the data center boom. This Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition is urging state lawmakers to study the cumulative effects of data center development in Virginia, and to institute several commonsense regulatory and rate-making reforms for the industry.
The Piedmont Environmental Council advocates for data center reform around four main pillars: Enhanced Transparency, Ratepayer Protections, State Oversight and Tax Incentive Reform. Learn more →
We believe we can get legislation in place this year to bring about a smarter digital future for our state.
Thank you for staying engaged on this important issue! Please encourage your friends, family and neighbors to weigh in with their legislators by forwarding them this email.
Sincerely,
Julie Bolthouse
Director of Land Use
[email protected]
540-347-2334 x7042
