‘World Is Watching’: Climate Advocates Focus on Data Center Energy Use

RICHMOND, Va. — Over a dozen climate organizations and hundreds of advocates attended Virginia Climate Lobby Day at the State Capitol, at the midpoint of the General Assembly session.

The event was hosted by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, or CCAN, and the Sierra Club’s Virginia Chapter.

Data center bills are taking center stage this session as Virginia tackles the reality of being the data center capital of the world. More than 60 data center bills were introduced this session, a sharp contrast from last year, when four of 20 proposed data center bills survived, according to Cardinal News.

Climate activists are paying close attention to the status of these bills as the session nears its end. Many of the bills were already continued to the 2027 session, though some have survived.

‘Whole World is Watching’

“We have more data centers in Virginia than any other state has or any other country has,” said Mary-Stuart Torbeck, a Sierra Club campaign representative and event organizer. “We have a unique situation where the whole world is watching how we’re going to navigate that issue from multiple lenses, from energy use, to water issues, to land use issues, and affordability.”

Several environmental lobby days took place this year, reflecting a growing trend of environmental activism, according to Torbeck. Others included the Virginia Conservation Lobby Day, the No New Gas for Big Tech Lobby Day, and the Data Center Reform Lobby Day.

“It’s important sometimes to have noise around a particular issue to really raise awareness for it,” Torbeck said. “We want to make sure that we catch up for the years of inaction on the climate.”

Lawmakers Tackle Energy Reform

Del. John McAuliff, D-Faquier, introduced multiple data center bills and has worked with environmental organizations such as the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club.

McAuliff introduced House Bill 507, which requires data center emission generators to be of a defined quality standard before being permitted to operate. The bill passed the House but had not cleared the Senate as of March 5.

The primary issues affecting Virginians when it comes to data centers are zoning and energy usage, according to McAuliff. Zoning is an issue because data centers are being built next to people’s homes and consuming their natural resources.

“Right now, folks like you and I are paying for a lot of the infrastructure that is being used exclusively or mostly by these data centers, and that’s coming out of our energy bills,” McAuliff said. “It’s up to the General Assembly to take on that regulatory role on that front.”

McAuliff also expressed his support for Virginia rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Commission, or RGGI, a regional cooperative program created to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In her first address to the General Assembly, Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Virginia’s plans to rejoin RGGI after the state left the initiative in 2023 under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

House Bill 397, introduced by Del. Charneile Herring, D-Alexandria, formally requires Virginia to rejoin the initiative and details which funds will receive the earned money. The bill passed on March 2, signalling Virginia’s official return to RGGI. The state could receive an estimated $460 million per fiscal year, according to the bill’s impact statement.

“RGGI creates grant opportunities for water mitigation issues,” McAuliff said. “It’s going to create a lot of new funding for the areas that are impacted, as well as bring back the carbon credit program.”

McAuliff believes the General Assembly still needs to better regulate data centers. Building data centers without a plan and continuing to raise prices will have many negative impacts, according to the delegate.

“We want to do everything we can to avoid the pending crisis,” McAuliff said.

A 2026 poll conducted by the Global Strategy Group and released by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund found that 92% of Virginians want lawmakers to do more to control data center impacts. The poll also found that nearly 75% of Virginia voters blame data centers for rapidly increasing electricity costs.

Republicans say there is plenty of generation capacity that needs to be unleashed, and data center demands are not the key driver of rising costs. Requirements of the state’s Virginia Clean Economy Act contribute to higher utility bills, Sen. Mark Obenshain, R- Harrisonburg, said at a Republican press conference in January.

“And if we double down and re-impose RGGI, that’s going to have a direct impact on the finances of families and businesses across the commonwealth of Virginia,” Obenshain said.

Advocates Share Concerns on Lobby Day

Advocates of all ages, including many in high school, voiced concern with state lawmakers over climate change and data centers.

“It’s about sustainability — clean water, clean land, and clean air,” said Mary Hill, a member of the Virginia Watermen’s Association. She is concerned about the deterioration of sea life and water quality.

“Data centers require a lot of water to keep robots cool, but it’s affecting our aquifer,” Hill said. “The Potomac Aquifer that we sit on has dropped over 200 feet.”

Hill also spoke in support of House Bill 897, which required data center operators to restrict the use of carbon dioxide emissions and prioritize clean energy to be eligible for tax exemptions. The bill passed the House but was “passed by indefinitely” in the Senate, although a substitute was provided.

“The diesel generators that data centers are going to use are going to add carbon and a lot of pollution to our atmosphere,” said David Patteson, a Chesterfield County resident.

The issue of air pollution was also brought up by Quinn Henrich, a CCAN volunteer. Henrich spoke in support of legislation that would make polluters pay for the cleanup of pollution in the event of a natural disaster.

“It affects the future,” Henrich said. “If we don’t take action on these things now, then there may not be a future for us to do some of these things, and that’s something that should motivate people towards action.”

By Sara Matthews, Capital News Service

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.