Gov. Spanberger's data center plan provides pathway for Virginia

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced an executive-order framework in September to manage data center growth more responsibly in the commonwealth. Virginia has about 400 operating data centers and roughly 280 more under construction or planned, supporting substantial economic activity while raising concerns about groundwater, pollution and energy use. The framework’s five pillars address community transparency, environmental protection, affordability, clean energy and grid reliability, and workforce benefits. Some proposals require legislation that Spanberger plans to pursue in January.

A 2024 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report estimated that Virginia’s data center industry contributes 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income and $9.1 billion in annual GDP.

Virginia approved a sales and use tax exemption for data centers in 2008 and authorized a retail and sales tax exemption in 2010.

The Data Center Accountability Framework directs executive-branch agencies to support continued construction and planning while improving cost efficiency and protecting residents and natural resources.

The framework proposes transparent community engagement, environmental safeguards, improved affordability, clean energy and grid reliability, and better workforce outcomes.

Published Oct 6, 2026 10:25 am KST

Responsible management of data centers and the resources they consume is among the most important and contentious national debates, and no place is that more consequential than in Virginia. The commonwealth has more of the facilities than any other state, with about 400 in operation and another 280 or so under construction or in the planning stages.

Finding consensus on laws and regulations that balance the desire for growth with proper stewardship of natural resources and an equitable cost burden continues to challenge Virginia, but Gov. Abigail Spanberger believes she has a solution that seeks to address many of the concerns shared by the business community and the public. Her framework is built on sound principles and could help the commonwealth thread this very tricky needle.

Virginia has tried for years to broaden its economic base and transition from an over-reliance on federal spending to a diversified and dynamic economic powerhouse. At the heart of this has been development of a robust technology sector, one that owes its success to infrastructure and education investment, favorable permitting and tax rules, and no small measure of good fortune.

It took painstaking work by officials from the private and public sector, including members of both parties, to lure successful tech companies to open up shop in the commonwealth. The center of that growth has been in Northern Virginia, where close proximity to Washington, available land and key internet infrastructure made that region a destination.

It was accelerated by the General Assembly in 2008 approving a sales and use tax exemption for data centers and in 2010 authorizing a retail and sales tax exemption. Lawmakers effectively rolled out the welcome mat for big tech firms to locate their facilities here at a lower cost than competing states. Yet, even with those favorable tax breaks, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission reported in 2024 that “the data center industry is estimated to contribute 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income and $9.1 billion in GDP to Virginia’s economy annually.”

The growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence have tech companies rushing to build more capacity and, naturally, they have returned time and again to Virginia. But public opinion has soured on the center as the costs — to groundwater supplies, air pollution, energy consumption — become clearer.

That led to a reckoning in this year’s General Assembly session where Democrats, despite holding majorities in both chambers along with the governor’s office, sparred over whether to roll back the tax breaks, if imposing new rates on power use would offset the strain on the electric grid, and how best to protect natural resources.

Lawmakers reached some agreement, but the solutions didn’t represent the sort of comprehensive, forward-looking policy that Virginia needs. Piecemeal isn’t going to cut it, not anymore.

That led Spanberger in September to announce an executive order outlining her “Data Center Accountability Framework,” a package of proposals and regulatory changes aimed at streamlining how the industry operates and ensuring it does so in residents’ best interests.

It’s founded on five “essential pillars”: engage transparently with communities; protect our environment; improve affordability; advance clean energy and grid reliability; and deliver a better deal for our workforce. It charges numerous agencies throughout the executive branch to focus efforts on upholding these principles as they apply to data centers to ensure that construction and planning can continue but in a more responsible, cost-efficient way.

There are actions that will require legislation, and the governor said she would work with lawmakers to see those passed into law when the General Assembly convenes in January. But this represents a bold and thorough plan for Virginia to continue reaping the benefits of data center growth while minimizing the harm to residents, businesses and the environment.

As always, the proof will be in the pudding; plans are great but actions matter more. At first blush, though, this is the sort of comprehensive vision the commonwealth needs to make sure data centers are serving the commonwealth and its residents.

This editorial was published by The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press and distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

弗吉尼亚州州长阿比盖尔·斯潘伯格 (Abigail Spanberger) 于 9 月宣布了一项行政命令框架，旨在更负责任地管理该州的数据中心发展。弗吉尼亚州目前约有 400 个运营中的数据中心，另有约 280 个正在建设或规划中，这些数据中心支撑着大量的经济活动，同时也引发了人们对地下水、污染和能源消耗的担忧。该框架的五大支柱分别涉及社区透明度、环境保护、可负担性、清洁能源和电网可靠性以及员工福利。其中一些提案需要立法才能实施，斯潘伯格计划在 1 月份推进相关立法工作。

2024 年联合立法审计和审查委员会的一份报告估计，弗吉尼亚州的数据中心产业贡献了 74,000 个就业岗位、55 亿美元的劳动收入和 91 亿美元的年度 GDP。

弗吉尼亚州于 2008 年批准了数据中心的销售和使用税豁免，并于 2010 年批准了零售和销售税豁免。

数据中心问责框架指导行政部门机构支持持续建设和规划，同时提高成本效益，保护居民和自然资源。

该框架提出透明的社区参与、环境保护、提高可负担性、清洁能源和电网可靠性，以及改善劳动力状况。

发布于2026年10月6日上午10:25（韩国标准时间）

数据中心及其资源消耗的负责任管理是美国最重要也最具争议的议题之一，而弗吉尼亚州在这方面的影响尤为显著。该州拥有的数据中心数量超过其他任何州，约有400座已投入运营，另有约280座正在建设或规划中。

如何在促进经济增长、妥善管理自然资源和确保成本公平分配之间取得平衡，并就相关法律法规达成共识，仍然是弗吉尼亚州面临的一大挑战。但州长阿比盖尔·斯潘伯格认为，她找到了一个能够解决商界和公众诸多共同关切的方案。她的方案建立在合理的原则之上，有望帮助弗吉尼亚州巧妙地解决这一棘手难题。

多年来，弗吉尼亚州一直致力于拓宽经济基础，摆脱对联邦支出的过度依赖，转型成为多元化、充满活力的经济强州。而这一切的核心在于发展强大的科技产业，该产业的成功得益于基础设施和教育投资、优惠的审批和税收政策，以及相当一部分的机遇。

为了吸引成功的科技公司落户弗吉尼亚州，私营和公共部门的官员，包括两党成员，付出了艰辛的努力。这一增长的中心位于弗吉尼亚州北部，那里毗邻华盛顿特区，拥有充足的土地和重要的互联网基础设施，使其成为理想的投资目的地。

2008年，弗吉尼亚州议会批准了数据中心的销售税和使用税豁免，2010年又批准了零售税和销售税豁免，这加速了数据中心产业的发展。立法者们实际上为大型科技公司铺平了道路，吸引它们以低于其他竞争州的成本将设施设在弗吉尼亚州。然而，即便有了这些优惠的税收政策，联合立法审计和审查委员会在2024年的报告中指出，“数据中心产业预计每年将为弗吉尼亚州经济贡献7.4万个就业岗位、55亿美元的劳动收入和91亿美元的GDP。”

云计算和人工智能的蓬勃发展促使科技公司竞相扩建产能，而它们自然而然地一次又一次地回到弗吉尼亚州。但随着地下水供应、空气污染和能源消耗等代价日益显现，公众对该中心的看法也日渐负面。

这导致今年州议会会议上出现了一场清算，尽管民主党人在两院以及州长办公室都占据多数席位，但他们还是就是否取消税收优惠、对电力使用征收新费率是否可以抵消电网压力以及如何最好地保护自然资源等问题展开了争论。

立法者们达成了一些共识，但这些解决方案并非弗吉尼亚州所需要的全面、前瞻性的政策。零敲碎打的办法已经行不通了。

这促使斯潘伯格在 9 月份宣布了一项行政命令，概述了她的“数据中心问责框架”，这是一揽子提案和监管改革，旨在简化该行业的运营方式，并确保其以居民的最大利益为出发点。

它以五大“支柱”为基础：与社区进行透明沟通；保护环境；提高可负担性；推进清洁能源和电网可靠性；以及为劳动者提供更好的待遇。它责成行政部门的众多机构重点关注如何将这些原则应用于数据中心建设，以确保建设和规划能够以更负责任、更具成本效益的方式继续进行。

有些措施需要立法才能实施，州长表示她将与立法者合作，争取在明年一月州议会召开时将这些措施通过成为法律。但这代表着弗吉尼亚州一项大胆而全面的计划，旨在继续享受数据中心发展带来的益处，同时最大限度地减少对居民、企业和环境的损害。

一如既往，实践是检验真理的唯一标准；计划固然重要，但行动更为关键。不过，就目前来看，这正是联邦政府需要的全面愿景，以确保数据中心能够服务于联邦政府及其居民。

这篇社论由《弗吉尼亚人报》和《每日新闻报》发表，并由论坛内容代理公司发行。