Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 22 and a new Data Center Accountability Framework to restrain rapid data center development and establish an AI task force. The policies ban nondisclosure agreements, eliminate by-right approvals, and restrict water-intensive cooling in scarce areas. While environmental groups praise the transparency and environmental guardrails, some advocates argue the rules fail to address existing pipeline projects.
Virginia data center executive order
- ▪Virginia Executive Order 22 bans executive branch officials from signing nondisclosure agreements for data center projects and requires expedited noise regulations
- ▪Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 22 on September 18, 2026, to restrict data center development and establish an artificial intelligence task force
Data center environmental impacts
- ▪Virginia Executive Order 22 limits the use of water-intensive cooling towers in areas suffering from water scarcity
- ▪Virginia Executive Order 22, signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger, encourages data center operators to retrofit existing backup generators to reduce emissions or switch to battery storage, fuel cells, and clean energy
AI task force creation
- ▪Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger established an artificial intelligence task force to evaluate state government responses to workforce displacement, data privacy issues, and legal applications to AI harms
- ▪California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on September 18, 2026, convening experts to address artificial intelligence safety issues
State-level data center regulation
- ▪New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order in July 2026 temporarily halting data center buildouts exceeding 50 megawatts
- ▪Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro issued an executive order blocking data center permit applications unless developers make legally binding commitments to abide by the Governor's Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) requirements
Data center accountability framework
- ▪The Virginia Data Center Accountability Framework requires local approval for data centers exceeding 25 megawatts and removes large data centers from the expedited permitting process
- ▪Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger unveiled a Data Center Accountability Framework to eliminate by-right approvals, remove certain state subsidies, and safeguard residents against increased energy prices
Debatable claims
- ▪Virginia should eliminate state subsidies for data centers
- ▪Virginia should place a moratorium on all new data center developments
- ▪State officials should be banned from signing nondisclosure agreements with data center developers
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