Virginia could introduce a three-year data center moratorium under Senate Bill 843, proposed by Democratic Senator Russet Perry, who represents Loudoun County. If passed, the bill would prevent state agencies from approving data center planning applications for three years from July 1, 2027. Perry said the pause would give lawmakers time to establish rules for future developments.
“This billion-dollar industry has grown unchecked and without guardrails for years while families face rising electric bills, massive transmission lines threaten our homes, schools, churches, and farms, and while we don’t have anywhere near the infrastructure needed to protect our grid and meet the staggering electricity demands of these massive facilities,” Perry said.
“We cannot keep rubber-stamping new data centers when we can’t even manage the ones already built. It’s past time we put real protections in place for our communities, our natural resources, and ratepayers.”
In August, Perry and Republican Senator Richard Stuart called for a review of data centers’ impact on Virginia’s groundwater. Northern Virginia faces growing opposition to new projects, with Loudoun County introducing a 12-month moratorium and Prince William County tightening planning rules. While New York, Texas, and Oregon have introduced statewide moratoriums, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has instead implemented a framework banning non-disclosure agreements for new projects and addressing data center noise.
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