Virginia is the data center capital of the world with more than 470 data centers statewide and 150 concentrated primarily in Loudoun County. Each of these data centers consumes as much power as a small city. This has created a huge increase in future electricity infrastructure needs, with projections ranging as high as 45 gigawatts in 2040, which is more than double the current size of our state’s entire system. It will require more expensive generation and transmission systems — the costs of which will be primarily shouldered by Virginia’s ratepayers.

Being a global hub for a new industry might be considered an honor. But for Virginia, data centers are becoming an anvil around its neck. The exponential growth of the data center industry has put an exponential strain on Virginia’s energy and water resources and made the path to achieving a clean energy future significantly more difficult.

PEC President, Chris Miller, recently wrote an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about the energy “crisis by contract” created by Dominion Energy and the data center industry. You can read the fill piece here: Column: Dominion, data centers are fleecing VA ratepayers.

Learn more about the impact of data centers on Virginia’s communities.