Data center bills dominated this year’s General Assembly. Here’s what passed.

By: Shannon Heckt

Outlets: Virginia Mercury

Published: March 17, 2026

Words: 1,406

Last Updated: 4 days, 3 hours ago

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The rapid growth of Virginia’s data center industry was a key point of focus during the 2026 legislative session, as lawmakers sought to balance the sector’s benefits — including over $80 billion in state investments and thousands of jobs — against its enormous electricity and water needs, which are a growing concern for communities statewide.

Legislators filed dozens of bills directly aimed at regulating the industry but only a handful passed, with some significant …

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