Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 22 to impose stricter controls on data centre construction and launch an artificial intelligence task force within the state government. The directive bans officials from signing nondisclosure agreements regarding these projects and mandates expedited noise regulations for new facilities. It also requires a review of backup generation operations and establishes a body to evaluate risks to Virginians. This move targets a region already hosting the majority of global data centre capacity.
The action signals a shift away from the previous policy of welcoming all high-power infrastructure without scrutiny. Local communities now have a formal mechanism to influence development plans, potentially slowing approvals where opposition exists. The focus moves from purely economic growth to managing environmental noise and energy reliability.
* Executive branch officials cannot sign nondisclosure agreements for data centre projects.
* Noise regulations must be expedited for new facilities.
* An AI task force will assess risks to residents.
