Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
News Source
•2026-09-18T14:29:17-04:00
📰 What Happened
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed an executive order on data centres and AI. The order bans state officials from signing secrecy deals for data centre projects. It calls for faster noise rules and a review of backup power systems used by the sites.
It also sets up an AI task force. The group will study risks to Virginians, such as job losses and privacy problems. It will also look at how current law can cover harm caused by AI. Virginia is already home to the data centre capital of the world.
🔍 The Backstory
Virginia has the world's biggest data centre market. It sits close to Washington, so tech firms build huge server farms there. These centres use large amounts of power and water. They can also be noisy for nearby residents.
States have stepped in because Congress and President Donald Trump have been slow to act. On the same day, California's Gavin Newsom issued his own AI order. Earlier, New York's Kathy Hochul and Texas's Greg Abbott did the same. Local communities want a bigger say in what gets built.
🎯 Why It Matters
Data centres affect power bills, noise and land use in nearby towns. These rules decide how much say local people get over projects built near them.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed an executive order on data centres and AI. The order bans state officials from signing secrecy deals for data centre projects. It calls for faster noise rules and a review of backup power systems used by the sites.
It also sets up an AI task force. The group will study risks to Virginians, such as job losses and privacy problems. It will also look at how current law can cover harm caused by AI. Virginia is already home to the data centre capital of the world.
Virginia has the world's biggest data centre market. It sits close to Washington, so tech firms build huge server farms there. These centres use large amounts of power and water. They can also be noisy for nearby residents.
States have stepped in because Congress and President Donald Trump have been slow to act. On the same day, California's Gavin Newsom issued his own AI order. Earlier, New York's Kathy Hochul and Texas's Greg Abbott did the same. Local communities want a bigger say in what gets built.
Data centres affect power bills, noise and land use in nearby towns. These rules decide how much say local people get over projects built near them.