ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Thursday unveiled a data center accountability framework and signed an executive order putting parts of it into effect immediately, in what her office called the most aggressive effort of its kind in the country.
None of that changes the project at Alexandria’s western edge, which Fairfax County approved by right before the framework existed.
What the framework does
The centerpiece for localities is a proposal to eliminate by-right approval and require local approval of any data center using more than 25 megawatts of power, regardless of prior project approvals. By-right development means a project that meets zoning requirements can proceed without a discretionary vote.
The framework would also require community benefits agreements between operators and local communities, end state subsidies for data centers in Virginia’s site development programs, and remove future large projects from the state’s fast-track permitting process…