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Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order on Friday to establish a state AI Task Force and implement a Data Center Accountability Framework. The order immediately bans non-disclosure agreements for data center projects, creates a community engagement toolkit, and directs reviews of backup generation and noise regulations. The broader framework, which requires legislation for full implementation, mandates local approval for data centers using over 25 megawatts and eliminates by-right approval.
Governor Abigail Spanberger unveiled a Data Center Accountability Framework and signed an executive order to establish a Virginia Artificial Intelligence Task Force. The governor described the framework as the most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability effort in the country, organized around five core requirements: increasing transparency, strengthening environmental protections, lowering energy costs, bolstering the clean energy economy, and delivering better deals for workers.
The executive order signed on Friday implements several directives immediately. These include banning executive branch agencies and employees from entering into or requiring non-disclosure agreements for data center projects. The order also creates an initial Data Center Planning and Community Engagement Toolkit for local governments, expedites the development of data center noise regulations, and directs a thorough review of diesel and other backup-generation operations associated with data centers.
The broader framework, which requires legislation for the 2027 General Assembly session to fully implement, calls for eliminating by-right approval for data centers. It requires local approval for any data center using more than 25 megawatts of power. Additionally, the framework aims to end state subsidies for data centers in Virginia’s site development programs and remove future large data centers from the state’s fast-track permitting process.
The Virginia Artificial Intelligence Task Force will focus on addressing risks posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. According to the report, the task force’s mandate includes addressing workforce displacement, data privacy, and cybersecurity concerns. The framework also includes provisions to require data centers to pay their fair share of energy costs and invest in clean energy to limit the use of natural gas generators.
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This move represents a significant shift in state-level AI and infrastructure governance, directly linking AI infrastructure expansion to community rights and environmental standards. By establishing a dedicated task force for AI risks like workforce displacement and cybersecurity, Virginia is creating a formal state mechanism to address the societal impacts of AI. The immediate executive actions provide concrete tools for local governments to negotiate with data center developers, potentially setting a precedent for other states facing similar infrastructure pressures.
The establishment of a state-level AI Task Force signals a formal governmental response to the societal impacts of AI, moving beyond general economic promotion to specific risk mitigation in workforce and privacy domains.
The immediate ban on non-disclosure agreements for data center projects increases transparency, allowing communities to access information about environmental and operational impacts that were previously hidden.
By requiring local approval for facilities exceeding 25 megawatts, the framework shifts significant regulatory power to local governments, potentially slowing the pace of AI infrastructure deployment in Virginia and forcing developers to engage with local stakeholders.
This policy action provides a concrete model for other states considering how to balance AI infrastructure growth with community rights, environmental standards, and energy affordability.
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Monitor the 2027 General Assembly session for legislation to codify the framework's core requirements, such as the 25-megawatt local approval threshold and energy cost provisions. Track the initial recommendations and membership of the Virginia AI Task Force regarding workforce and privacy risks. Observe how local governments utilize the new planning toolkit in upcoming data center permitting processes.
The 2027 General Assembly session will be critical for determining if the framework’s core requirements, such as the 25-megawatt threshold and energy cost provisions, are codified into law.
The composition and initial findings of the Virginia AI Task Force will reveal the state’s specific priorities regarding AI-driven workforce displacement and cybersecurity risks.
Local governments’ use of the new Data Center Planning and Community Engagement Toolkit will determine the practical effectiveness of the framework in negotiating better terms with data center developers.