Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has ordered the state government to take steps that could give local communities a greater say in data centre development and slow approvals, in a state already home to the data centre capital of the world.
Executive Order 22 bans executive branch officials from signing nondisclosure agreements for data centre projects, requires expedited noise regulations, and mandates a review of backup-generation operations used by data centres, among other requirements. The order also establishes an AI task force charged with evaluating how the state government can address risks to Virginians such as workforce displacement and data privacy issues, and with determining how existing law can be applied to AI-related harms.
States Take AI Policy Into Their Own Hands
The order is the latest signal that states are shaping data centre and AI policy independently, as Congress and President Donald Trump have been slow or resistant to sweeping changes. On the same Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order convening experts to tackle AI safety issues. Earlier, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Texas Governor Greg Abbott had both taken executive action to rein in rapid data centre development.
A New Accountability Framework
Alongside the executive order, Spanberger unveiled a new Data Centre Accountability Framework for the state, setting out additional priorities. These include eliminating “by-right approval”, the kind that existed in Loudoun County for many years allowing developers to build on certain land without further permission. The framework also proposes removing some state subsidies, establishing environmental guardrails, and safeguarding residents against the increased energy prices associated with data centres.
A press release accompanying the actions includes numerous statements from environmental groups praising Spanberger’s approach, though others wished she had gone further. The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), a nonprofit that has advocated for a moratorium on new development to address existing concerns, expressed reservations. PEC president Chris Miller said the measures “largely addresses standards on new data centers and does not deal with what’s already built and in the pipeline, along with the ongoing impacts piling up in communities now.”
Executive Order 22 requires a review of backup-generation operations and expedited noise regulations, while barring executive branch officials from entering nondisclosure agreements for data centre projects.
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