Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger unveils data center policies

Abigail Spanberger: Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic Governor of Virginia, having taken office in January 2026. She focuses on moderating development pressures from the data center industry while balancing economic interests and community concerns. In the news, she unveiled Virginia’s Data Center Accountability Framework and signed Executive Order 22 to impose new transparency, environmental, and energy standards on data centers without enacting a full moratorium. Regulation: The new Data Center Accountability Framework requires local approvals for large data centers, promotes community benefits agreements, and sets limits on on-site natural gas generation to enhance environmental protections. Policy Action: Virginia Gov. Spanberger signed Executive Order 22 establishing immediate measures such as banning nondisclosure agreements for data center projects and creating an AI task force addressing privacy, workforce, and safety issues. Political Context: Spanberger’s approach follows debates within the Democratic Party and with legislative leaders over balancing data center growth with resident concerns in the state hosting the world’s largest concentration of such facilities.