Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered the state government to take steps that could empower local communities to have a larger say in data center development and slow down approvals in a state that is already home to the data center capital of the world. Executive Order 22 bans executive branch officials from signing nondisclosure agreements for data center projects, requires expedited noise regulations, and requires a review of backup-generation operations used by data cent
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Virginia's governor signed an executive order that creates an AI task force and imposes new restrictions on data center development in the state. The order bans nondisclosure agreements for data center projects, requires noise regulations, and mandates reviews of backup power operations, while also establishing a task force to evaluate AI risks like workforce displacement and data privacy issues. The move reflects growing state-level action on data center and AI policy as Congress and the federal government have been slow to act, with other states like California, New York, and Texas taking similar steps. The governor also announced a Data Center Accountability Framework that aims to eliminate automatic approvals for development, remove some subsidies, establish environmental standards, and protect residents from energy price increases linked to data centers.
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