Virginia Senator Proposes Three‑Year Statewide Pause on New Data Centers

Overview

• Sen. Russet Perry filed Senate Bill 843 proposing a statewide moratorium that would bar new data‑center approvals and related power work from July 1, 2027 through July 1, 2030.
• The measure would prevent local governments and state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission, from issuing rezonings, permits, site plans or state authorizations tied solely to data centers.
• Perry and other sponsors point to rising power demand in Dominion Energy’s interconnection queue, a Department of Energy warning to PJM about blackout risks, and groundwater and transmission‑siting strain as reasons for a pause.
• Industry groups and some labor leaders oppose moratoriums, saying pauses could cost jobs, shift investment out of Virginia and reduce local tax revenue, while unions warn of harm to construction and electrical trades.
• The bills are set for debate in the January 2027 General Assembly session and face open legal and technical questions about projects already in the pipeline, vested‑rights claims and how to allocate transmission and grid upgrade costs.