Dozens of data center bills moving through Virginia General Assembly

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As data center proposals continue to emerge across Central Virginia, lawmakers are pushing a wave of legislation that could bring new regulations to the industry statewide.

There are around 60 bills related to data centers still active in the General Assembly this session -- nearly double the number lawmakers were considering at this time in 2025. So far, only one such bill has failed.

University of Richmond professor and data center expert Mary Finley-Brook said the volume of legislation reflects long-standing concerns.

"It's so important that we finally regulate this industry," she said. "I mean, honestly, if we had wanted to protect Virginians, this would have happened many years ago."

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She said the only bill to fail so far is Senate Bill 552. Finley-Brook said that this bill had to do with larger data center projects and would have given the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) additional oversight.

If it had been approved, the DEQ would have been required to review the sites of these proposed data centers to ensure that they complied with standards covering noise, light pollution, water usage, air emissions, traffic and more.

"What it was trying to do is, essentially, very important because we do need to be regulating this industry," Finley-Brook said of the bill. "It was really worried about site suitability."

The bill died in committee earlier this week, after it just scraped by on a tied vote. Finley-Brook raised concerns about how site decisions are handled, but also questioned the bill’s structure.

"My concern, having worked with the Department of Environmental Quality many times with impacted communities, is they ignore site suitability," she said. "I don't believe that this was a properly written bill."

Many other bills remain under consideration. Finley-Brook pointed to House Bill 155 as one to watch, noting its focus on regulating energy use.

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"It's not only data centers, but infrastructure, that has a high wattage," she said. "And really thinking about how we need to focus on the highest load and making sure that that is regulated."

She added that the legislation is ultimately about accountability and transparency, especially as data centers receive subsidies that result in a loss of tax revenue.

"The most important thing that could come out of this General Assembly would be to stop with the subsidies that are creating problems for all," Finley-Brook said. "There's a lot of good bills, there's a lot of good intentions -- but you really need many of these to be working together."

Finley-Brook said nearly none of the data center bills proposed in 2025 made it through the legislative process.

Several data center projects are scheduled to be discussed on Monday, Feb. 9. Stay with 8News for updates.