VA — State Policy Updated 2026-07-17

Virginia

State sales & use tax exemption Property tax treatment Enterprise Zone incentives Other state programs Moratoriums Zoning restrictions New state siting, environmental, and reporting rules enac... Utility/transmission constraints Utility Regulation

1) Incentive programs

State sales & use tax exemption (data centers)

  • Program: Virginia’s primary statewide data-center incentive remains the retail sales and use tax exemption for qualifying data centers that enter a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and satisfy investment, employment, and wage conditions. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Standard thresholds: Qualifying investments generally must be at least $150 million and create at least 50 new full-time jobs paying at least 1.5 times the locality’s prevailing average wage. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Distressed localities: The exemption has reduced thresholds in distressed localities: at least $70 million in qualifying investment and 10 new jobs. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Sunset and extensions: The standard exemption runs through June 30, 2035, with possible extensions to June 30, 2040 or June 30, 2050 for exceptionally large investment/job commitments. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • No new clean-energy condition enacted: Bills that would have conditioned the exemption on energy efficiency, carbon-free procurement, or generator restrictions did not pass the 2026 regular session; HB897 failed and SB465 failed. Virginia LIS, 2026-02-17; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13
  • Final budget preserved the exemption but added a separate electricity tax: The final 2026-2028 budget, adopted June 29, did not repeal the sales-and-use-tax exemption. Instead, it imposed a temporary $0.011-per-kWh tax on all electricity consumed at data centers from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, capped net collections at $600 million per year, and directed excess collections to be refunded pro rata. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29

Property tax treatment (state framework)

  • Real property assessment method: Data center “fixtures” are assessed using the cost approach for local property taxation. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Fixtures definition: The fixture statute expressly covers servers, chillers, generators, switchgear, UPS systems, power distribution units, and related data-center components. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Business tangible personal property (BTPP): Computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center are a separate local personal-property classification, which lets localities set distinct tax rates for data-center equipment. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10; Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Local rate policy remains a core incentive/constraint: JLARC reports that some localities have reduced business tangible personal property rates for computer equipment to attract data centers, but that lower rates also reduce the local revenue the industry can generate. JLARC, 2024-12-09
  • Prince William rate update: Prince William County’s 2024 Data Center Revenue Report shows the county raised its computer equipment and peripherals tax rate from $2.15 in tax year 2023 to $3.70 in tax year 2024, and the Board later increased the rate to $4.15 during FY2026 budget adoption. Prince William County, 2025-06

Enterprise Zone incentives (state + local)

  • State grants: The Virginia Enterprise Zone program provides a Job Creation Grant and Real Property Investment Grant for qualified investors in designated zones. Virginia DHCD, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Local incentives: Enterprise Zone applications must include the local incentives that the locality will provide, and localities are responsible for implementing those incentives. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10
  • Zone duration: Enterprise Zones are generally designated for an initial 10-year period, with renewals available; zones in effect as of June 30, 2024 were extended for four years by statute. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10

Other state programs

  • Cloud Computing Cluster Infrastructure Grant Fund: The grant program remains distinct from the sales-tax exemption, but 2026 bills that would have tied grant eligibility to reclaimed-water use or other conditions carried over rather than becoming law. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13
  • No separate data-center franchise-tax relief identified: The main statewide, data-center-specific tax incentive remains the sales and use tax exemption; JLARC identifies that exemption as the dominant state incentive. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10; JLARC, 2024-12-09
  • Interim tax-policy review: The final budget directed the Joint Subcommittee on Tax Policy to hold at least two 2026 interim meetings and report by December 15, 2026 on the exemption, alternative revenue mechanisms, other states’ incentives and moratoria, economic and environmental effects, AI-related employment, electricity agreements, water, and generators. This is a study, not a repeal or extension of the exemption. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29

2) Restrictions & moratoriums

Moratoriums

  • No statewide moratorium enacted: HB1515, which would have temporarily prohibited local final approvals for data centers until relevant interconnection requests were fulfilled or July 1, 2028, was continued to 2027. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-23
  • Loudoun County moratorium limits: Loudoun County has stated that it lacks legal authority to impose a blanket data-center moratorium and must consider rezoning or special-exception applications on their individual merits. MultiState summary of Loudoun County FAQ, 2026-01-15

Zoning restrictions (local)

  • Loudoun County: Loudoun eliminated by-right data center development through a 2025 zoning ordinance amendment and now generally requires special-exception approval for new data centers, with limited grandfathering for certain pending applications. Holland & Knight, 2025-04-14
  • Loudoun strategic update: Loudoun County’s June 2026 “Data Center Capital of the World” strategy described roughly 250 data centers built in the county and more than 100 in the development pipeline, while warning that halting new construction would not by itself solve AI-driven power demand from existing facilities. Loudoun County, 2026-06
  • Prince William County: The Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District permits data centers by right in specified office and industrial districts, requires special use permits outside the overlay, and prohibits data centers in agricultural and residential districts. Prince William County, 2024-09-25
  • Danville: Danville City Council unanimously amended the city’s zoning code in May 2026 to allow data centers within city limits subject to local siting standards, including a 500-foot separation from residential areas, parcels larger than 150 acres, required buffers, and a prohibition on data centers inside industrial parks. WSLS, 2026-05-05
  • Amherst County: Amherst County supervisors agreed in June 2026 to pursue zoning changes that would make data centers allowable only by special use permit in the M-1 industrial district; the board directed the Planning Commission to act on the measure by August. GovTech, 2026-06-05
  • Virginia Beach draft ban: On June 5, 2026, Virginia Business reported that the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously directed staff to draft an ordinance banning large-scale and hyperscale data centers citywide, while allowing subsea-cable landing sites and colocation facilities to seek conditional-use permits; the proposal still needed Planning Commission review and a final council vote. Virginia Business, 2026-06-05
  • Suffolk temporary-ban proposal: On June 17, Suffolk City Council directed the Planning Commission to draft a zoning amendment temporarily prohibiting data centers. City officials said they would not consider applications while the amendment was pending, but the council still had to enact the prohibition. WHRO, 2026-06-18
  • Shenandoah County ordinance, no moratorium: The Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors voted 6-0 to adopt a data-center zoning ordinance on June 23 and declined requests for a temporary moratorium; the county then held a July 15 work session to identify topics for possible future amendment. WHSV, 2026-06-23; Shenandoah County, accessed 2026-07-17
  • Front Royal temporary moratorium and proposed prohibition: Front Royal unanimously imposed a 90-day administrative pause on accepting data-center applications on July 6 while its Planning Commission drafts language to prohibit data centers in every town zoning district; the permanent prohibition still required later council action. Royal Examiner, 2026-07-07
  • Warren County project and text amendment: On July 8, the Warren County Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of an applicant-driven zoning amendment that would allow data centers by conditional-use permit in industrial districts, along with the accompanying 0 Rockland Road permit. The Board of Supervisors scheduled its final hearing for August 18. Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, 2026-07-10; Warren County, updated 2026-07-10
  • Hanover County policy review: Following its denial of Mountain Road Tech Park, Hanover’s Board of Supervisors began an expected 18-month review of a countywide data-center policy, zoning standards, and the local tax rate. The county retained its existing $0.45 per $100 equipment-tax rate and said a moratorium was not legally available. Hanover County, 2026-07-02
  • Chesapeake conditional-use proposal: On July 8, the Chesapeake Planning Commission unanimously recommended an ordinance that would make data centers conditional uses in industrial districts and the Fentress Overlay District; City Council approval was still required as of July 17. WHRO, 2026-07-09
  • Prince William overlay reform pending: Prince William County proposed shrinking and redefining its Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, closing it to future expansion, and retaining by-right eligibility only for qualifying parcels that remain inside; outside the overlay, eligible industrial/office sites would require a special-use permit. The proposal was before the Planning Commission on July 15, but the Board of County Supervisors had not adopted the amendment as of July 17. Prince William County, accessed 2026-07-17
  • Wythe County zoning gap: A proposed TAC Data Centers gigawatt-scale campus in Wythe County did not need rezoning because the county had no zoning ordinance, but county officials were drafting a zoning ordinance in response to growth pressures, including data centers and other large projects. Cardinal News, 2026-06-04
  • Goochland technology overlay litigation: Goochland County’s May 2026 update reported that plaintiffs challenging the county’s Technology Overlay District had withdrawn their “arbitrary and capricious” claim, that the county had until the end of June to submit a modified legislative record, and that the next hearing was scheduled for October 20. Goochland County, 2026-05-26
  • Leesburg Gateway: A Peterson-linked affiliate filed a federal permit for the Leesburg Gateway project, which could include three two-story data centers totaling about 600,000 square feet plus four industrial buildings across more than 100 acres; Data Center Dynamics reported that the Leesburg Planning Commission had recommended denial and that the application identified wetland and stream impacts. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-01

New state siting, environmental, and reporting rules enacted in 2026

  • Site assessments: HB153/SB94 became Acts of Assembly Chapters 567 and 568 and require localities, before rezoning, special-exception, or special-use-permit approval for a new high-energy-use facility, to require a site assessment of sound impacts on residential units and schools within 500 feet; localities may also require assessment of water, agricultural, park, historic, and forestland impacts. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-26
  • Preservation of local zoning authority: The same site-assessment law states that it does not prohibit, limit, or supersede existing local zoning authority. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-26
  • Water reporting: HB496/SB553 became Acts of Assembly Chapters 623 and 896 and, effective January 1, 2027, require registered water users that supply offsite water to report monthly potable and reclaimed-water volumes provided to data centers with DEQ air permits and to other customer categories where that information is available without billing-system modifications. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-31
  • Backup-generator standard: HB507 became Acts of Assembly Chapter 397 and bars DEQ from issuing an air permit for a data-center application submitted on or after July 1, 2026 unless each engine-generator emission limit is at or below Tier 4-equivalent emissions. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-31
  • Waste-heat work group: HB323 became Acts of Assembly Chapter 591 and directs the Department of Energy to lead a work group on accelerating data-center waste-heat use, with a report due September 1, 2026. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-24
  • Cooling-water scarcity rules: Final budget language directs DEQ to amend water-withdrawal regulations by July 1, 2027 to identify Cooling Water Scarcity Areas. New data centers in those areas—and new Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area projects whose air-permit applications are complete after January 1, 2027—must minimize cooling-water use and employ the best available water-efficient technology before July 1, 2032. DEQ must also report by October 15, 2026 on retrofitting existing Eastern Virginia facilities. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29
  • State data-center resource report: The final budget directs the SCC, with DEQ and other agencies, to publish by October 1, 2026 an aggregated report covering data-center electric-service agreements, contracted demand and load, water use, and permitted backup generators. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29
  • Noise regulations: Final budget language directs DEQ to adopt statewide data-center noise regulations effective by December 31, 2029, allows localities to impose stricter rules, and authorizes civil penalties of up to $32,500 per day beginning January 1, 2030. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29

Utility/transmission constraints

  • Large-load rate class: The SCC created Dominion’s GS-5 class for customers demanding 25 MW or more, effective January 1, 2027, with minimum charges and contract/collateral protections designed to reduce cost shifting to other customers. Virginia SCC, 2025-11-25; Virginia SCC, 2026-02-24
  • Dominion large-load queue proceeding: Dominion filed its large-load connection queue process in SCC Case No. PUR-2026-00011 after the Commission ordered the utility to formalize the process. On May 12, the SCC made determinations on the proposed queue standards and required a compliance filing, while leaving the proposed flexibility-based fast-track mechanism open for additional briefing due June 30; the case therefore was not fully resolved as of July 17. Virginia SCC filing, 2026-02-02; Virginia SCC interim order, 2026-05-12
  • Utility service-delay authority: HB1151/SB423 became Chapter 745 and, effective July 1, 2027, permit electric distributors to delay service when necessary to maintain grid reliability, avoid generation or transmission-capacity constraints, or comply with SCC or FERC load-interconnection policies. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Transmission buildout: PJM’s February 2026 RTEP approval included roughly $4.8 billion of Dominion projects, including a planned 525-kV underground backbone designed to move 3,000 MW into Loudoun County by 2032. Utility Dive, 2026-02-17
  • Golden-Mars transmission route approved: In Case No. PUR-2025-00056, the SCC’s June 29 final order approved Route 3A for Dominion’s data-center-driven Golden-Mars project in eastern Loudoun County, including a new 500-kV line and a 230-kV loop. Virginia SCC, 2026-06-29; Dominion Energy, updated 2026-06-29
  • Transmission-cost allocation pending: Dominion’s proposed Rider T-1 in SCC Case No. PUR-2026-00056 seeks roughly $1.5 billion in transmission-cost recovery. At the July 14 hearing, SCC staff, the governor’s office, advocates, and an electric cooperative urged more direct assignment of data-center-driven costs, while large-load customers opposed project-specific allocation in this rider case; no final order had issued by July 17. Virginia SCC order of notice, 2026-05-11; Utility Dive, 2026-07-15
  • Federal large-load tariff review: On June 18, FERC issued Section 206 show-cause orders to all six jurisdictional RTO/ISOs, including PJM, requiring them within 60 days to justify their large-load interconnection tariffs or propose reforms addressing study processes, transparency and cost shifting, co-location, flexible service, and proximate generation. FERC, 2026-06-18

3) Local governance and community opposition patterns

  • Local zoning authority remains central: Virginia’s general zoning statute gives localities broad authority to regulate land by district and use, and the 2026 site-assessment law preserved local zoning authority rather than replacing it with state siting approval. Virginia Law, accessed 2026-06-10; Virginia LIS, 2026-03-26
  • Hanover County denial: On May 28, 2026, the Hanover County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to deny approvals for Tract’s proposed Mountain Road Tech Park, a nearly 430-acre multi-data-center project opposed over noise, emissions, waste, water, power use, and other impacts. 12 On Your Side, 2026-05-28
  • Prince William Digital Gateway litigation: The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a ruling voiding approvals for the Prince William Digital Gateway, described as a proposed 23 million-square-foot data-center complex on about 2,100 acres near Manassas National Battlefield Park, because of public-notice defects in the rezoning process. Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2026-04-01
  • Digital Gateway terminated: QTS withdrew its Supreme Court of Virginia appeal on July 2 after Prince William County and Compass Datacenters had already declined to continue. The approvals remain void, ending the proposed 2,100-acre, 23 million-square-foot Digital Gateway under the challenged rezoning. Washington Post, 2026-07-09
  • Dulles South Innovation Center denied: On July 7, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 8-0 to deny the comprehensive-plan amendment for a roughly 1,940-acre, up-to-43-million-square-foot data-center proposal outside the overlay district. WTOP, 2026-07-07
  • Quantico Ridge withdrawal: Highland Properties Manassas withdrew its rezoning request for the approximately 160-acre Quantico Ridge data-center proposal in Prince William County, which had raised concerns because of its proximity to Prince William Forest Park. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-13
  • Botetourt opposition: Google’s planned Botetourt County campus drew resident concern over water and energy demand after filings showed three data-center buildings totaling about 921,000 square feet and a water agreement that could ultimately allow up to 8 million gallons per day. Virginia Business, 2026-06-01
  • Botetourt water-planning forum request: On July 13, the county Planning Commission asked the Board of Supervisors to authorize a public forum on long-term water supply, drought planning, wastewater, groundwater and wells, power, noise, and accountability issues surrounding Google’s campus; the Board still controlled whether the forum would proceed. Botetourt County, 2026-07-13
  • Chesterfield Project Skye environmental review: A June 29 U.S. Army Corps notice disclosed Google’s proposed five-building Project Skye campus and three substations in Chesterfield County. The application proposes impacts to 17.99 acres of forested wetlands and 8,115 linear feet of streams, plus conversion of 7.23 acres of forested wetlands, with public comment open through July 28. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2026-06-29
  • Virginia Beach political signal: Virginia Beach’s draft-ban direction cited land availability, energy consumption, water use, infrastructure, and neighborhood impacts even though the city had no large data centers at the time. Virginia Business, 2026-06-05
  • Statewide opinion shift: An April 2026 Washington Post-Schar School poll, summarized by Governing, found only 35% of Virginia voters were comfortable with a new data center in their community, down from 69% in 2023. Governing, 2026-04-17
  • Statewide transparency rally: Data-center opponents rallied at Capitol Square on July 11 seeking more disclosure and stronger controls over water, electricity, land-use, and pollution impacts, illustrating that opposition had broadened beyond individual zoning cases. 12 On Your Side, 2026-07-12

4) Legislative activity (2024-2026)

  • 2024-2025 baseline: JLARC’s 2024 data-center report framed the 2026 policy debate by documenting fiscal benefits, residential and community impacts, energy/water constraints, and policy options for incentives, local impacts, and utility planning. JLARC, 2024-12-09
  • 2026 session scale: A March 2026 legislative tracker reported that Virginia lawmakers considered 61 data-center-related bills during the regular session and sent 15 to the governor. MultiState, 2026-03-30
  • Siting enacted: HB153/SB94 passed as Chapters 567/568 and created the new high-energy-use-facility site-assessment requirement. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-26
  • Demand flexibility enacted: HB284/SB371 passed as Chapters 377/378 and require Dominion and Appalachian Power to file SCC petitions by January 15, 2027 for voluntary demand-flexibility programs for high-energy-demand customers; electric cooperatives serving such customers must establish programs by January 1, 2029. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Waste heat enacted: HB323 passed as Chapter 591 and created the Department of Energy waste-heat work group and September 1, 2026 reporting deadline. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-24
  • IRP reform enacted: HB429/SB249 passed as Chapters 607/608 and changed utility integrated-resource-plan requirements, including a 20-year planning horizon, triennial filings, grid-enhancing-technology and surplus-interconnection-service analysis, stakeholder process requirements, and SCC guideline/review proceedings by July 1, 2027. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Water reporting enacted: HB496/SB553 passed as Chapters 623/896 and created monthly offsite water-volume reporting for data centers with DEQ air permits beginning January 1, 2027. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-31
  • Generator standard enacted: HB507 passed as Chapter 397 and imposed the Tier 4-equivalent air-permit condition for new data-center applications submitted on or after July 1, 2026. Virginia LIS, 2026-03-31
  • Utility service-delay authority enacted: HB1151/SB423 passed as Chapter 745 and created express authority for electric distributors to delay service for reliability, capacity, or load-interconnection-policy reasons, with a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Large-load cost-allocation legislation enacted: HB1393/SB253 passed as Chapters 1123/1124 and require Dominion, in rate cases after January 1, 2027 and before July 1, 2033, to propose allocation of certain capacity-procurement and distribution-infrastructure costs to a customer class for customers with at least 25 MW demand and at least 75% average annual load factor, while excluding certain manufacturing/industrial/consumer-goods warehousing and distribution activities other than data storage. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-02
  • Load-forecasting review enacted: HB892 passed as Chapter 1077 and directs the SCC to open a proceeding by March 1, 2027 to investigate electric load-forecasting practices by Dominion, Appalachian Power, and electric distribution cooperatives. Virginia LIS, 2026-05-26
  • Distributed-energy task force enacted: HB285/SB223 passed as Chapters 1042/997 and created a distributed energy resources task force, relevant to the broader grid-flexibility debate but not limited to data centers. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Grid-utilization and RTO-transparency bills enacted: HB434/SB621 require Dominion and Appalachian Power to seek SCC approval of grid-utilization metrics by October 15, 2026, and SB777/HB84 require annual SCC reports disclosing PJM votes and explaining how each recorded vote is in the public interest. Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • State operating certificate proposals failed: HB155 and SB619, which would have required SCC certificates of operation for high-load facilities above defined MW thresholds, failed. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-06; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13
  • Moratorium proposal carried over: HB1515 was continued to 2027 rather than enacted. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-23
  • Ratepayer-protection proposals carried over or failed: HB591, HB503/SB466, HB658, and SB339 did not become law, but their subject matter was partly superseded by enacted large-load tariff, cost-allocation, demand-flexibility, and forecasting bills. Virginia LIS, 2026-02-18; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-07; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-04-13
  • Additional environmental/energy proposals did not pass: HB154 emergency-generator disclosure failed; HB824 energy generation/storage study failed; HB1087 natural-gas fuel-cell generation failed; SB336 generator study continued; HB1502 standby-generator study continued; SB417/SB709 reclaimed-water grant conditions continued; and SB521 rainwater-harvesting requirements continued. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-06; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-12; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-02-17; Virginia LIS, 2026-02-18; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13
  • Tax and local-fiscal proposals did not pass: HB1101, which would have revised the school-funding local composite index to include data-center revenue, failed; HB1132, which would have created a local residential renewable-energy incentive funded by new data-center revenue, continued; HB641/SB393, which would have created a data-center land-conservation tax, continued; and SB93, which would have changed tax treatment for data-center tenants that are banks, continued. Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-14; Virginia LIS, 2026-01-13; Virginia LIS, 2025-12-31
  • Additional disclosure, incentive, and environmental bills did not become law: HB784 (recipient/amount/performance disclosure), HB961 (limits on exemption-eligible replacement equipment), SB334 (local public hearing before certain land/easement dispositions), and SB552 (more stringent site-assessment and DEQ standards) failed; HB607, a three-year aggregate backup-generator air-pollution study, continued to 2027. Virginia LIS, accessed 2026-07-17; Virginia LIS, accessed 2026-07-17; Virginia LIS, accessed 2026-07-17; Virginia LIS, accessed 2026-07-17; Virginia LIS, accessed 2026-07-17
  • Special-session budget outcome: The June 29 budget resolution preserved the sales-tax exemption, created the temporary electricity-consumption tax, and added statewide water, noise, resource-reporting, and tax-study directives described above. Virginia Budget Portal, 2026-06-29

5) Notable projects and key operators

  • Northern Virginia concentration: JLARC reports Northern Virginia is the largest data-center market in the world, with 13% of global operational capacity and 25% of capacity in the Americas. JLARC, 2024-12-09
  • Stack Infrastructure Berry Hill campus: Danville and Pittsylvania officials approved a local performance agreement for Stack Infrastructure’s Berry Hill megasite project in May 2026, outlining up to $100 billion of investment and 2,500 jobs over 30 years, contingent on the state data-center sales-tax exemption remaining in place. Cardinal News, 2026-05-19
  • Stack Stafford Technology Campus: Stack topped out the first building at its Stafford Technology Campus in May 2026; at full build-out, the campus is planned for more than 1 GW of capacity across 19 data centers on 500 acres. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-26
  • Google Botetourt County campus: Google plans a Botetourt County hyperscale campus involving at least $3 billion in investment by 2030, at least 150 new jobs, and three data-center buildings totaling about 921,000 square feet in county filings. The Project Raspberry permitting record advanced when DEQ received the minor new-source-review air-permit application on May 13; state water and air review remained pending. Virginia Business, 2026-06-01; Virginia DEQ, accessed 2026-07-17
  • Google Chesterfield Project Loch: Google filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Project Loch outside Richmond in Chesterfield County, with site plans indicating three data-center buildings and three on-site substations. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-14
  • Google Chesterfield Project Skye: A separate Corps application published June 29 describes five data-center buildings and three substations south of Genito Road, east of Moseley Road, and north of Duval Road; the filing did not disclose MW capacity or a project-specific investment total. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2026-06-29
  • Microsoft Mecklenburg expansion: Microsoft filed to develop a 490-acre expansion adjacent to its existing AVC17 campus in Mecklenburg County, including three one-story data-center buildings, an on-site electrical substation, and a water-storage facility, with approval and construction expected to take four to five years. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-06-04
  • TAC Data Centers Wythe County campus: TAC Data Centers proposed a Wythe County campus requiring more than 1 GW of power capacity, with 9 to 11 buildings, 3.5 million to 4 million square feet, roughly 1,000 acres, and a first-half online target in 2029 followed by completion in 2031/2032. Cardinal News, 2026-06-04
  • Wise Innovation Hub: Wise Innovation Hub proposed about 2 million square feet across nine data-center buildings at Lonesome Pine Regional Business & Technology Park, with on-site natural-gas generation potentially starting around 100 MW and scaling to 500-600 MW. Cardinal News, 2026-02-25
  • T5 Dulles fuel-cell proposal: T5 Data Centers proposed a 312,000-square-foot facility at Westfields International Center in Dulles that would use 60 MW of natural-gas fuel cells as primary power, with grid power for high-load periods. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-28
  • Amazon Manassas acquisition: Amazon acquired the 110,000-square-foot Manassas data center it had been leasing at 7505 Mason King Court for $65 million; Data Center Dynamics reported online listings suggest roughly 20 MW of capacity. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-05-12
  • Tuckahoe Technology Park proposal: Tract submitted a June 10 preapplication for an approximately 872-acre, 12-building, 900-MW campus in Goochland County’s Technology Overlay District; the project still requires a conditional-use permit and public review, and no total investment was publicly stated. Goochland County, 2026-06-10; Data Center Dynamics, 2026-07-13
  • QTS White Oak expansion filing: QTS filed in June to add another building and related site work at its White Oak Technology Park campus in Henrico County; the broader campus has previously been described at up to 240 MW, but the filing did not state a new investment total. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-06-12
  • Haven Oak Technology Park proposal: Dinwiddie County received rezoning and conditional-use applications for the approximately 987-acre Haven Oak Technology Park; the county was still reviewing the proposal and had not approved it or disclosed a firm investment or MW total as of July 17. Dinwiddie County, updated 2026-07-14; Dinwiddie County, 2026-07-14
  • Project Flash under discussion: A Crusoe-linked party was in early discussions with Franklin County about a potential 50-100 MW data center on roughly 150 acres at Summit View Business Park; no approval or investment commitment had been announced by July 17. Data Center Dynamics, 2026-07-16
  • Hopewell former ethanol site: Volterra Advisors was conducting preliminary studies for a possible 20-MW, approximately 50,000-70,000-square-foot data center at the former Green Plains ethanol plant in Hopewell. The city emphasized that no formal project approval or investment commitment existed as of mid-July. City of Hopewell, 2026-07-13; Data Center Dynamics, 2026-07-14
  • Digital Realty asset transaction: Digital Realty agreed to pay $3.5 billion for Blackstone’s interests in three stabilized Northern Virginia hyperscale data centers—two 96-MW facilities in Manassas and one 96-MW facility in Sterling. This was an ownership transaction, not a new-build investment announcement. Digital Realty, 2026-06-29
  • Hanover Mountain Road Tech Park: Hanover County denied the proposed nearly 430-acre Mountain Road Tech Park data-center project in May 2026. 12 On Your Side, 2026-05-28
  • Prince William Digital Gateway: The proposed Digital Gateway ended when QTS withdrew its final state Supreme Court appeal on July 2, leaving the rezoning approvals void. Washington Post, 2026-07-09
  • Northern Virginia operator set: Major Northern Virginia operators and customers historically include AWS, Google, Microsoft, CyrusOne, Digital Realty, Equinix, Iron Mountain, QTS, and CloudHQ. Prince William County, 2021-12-01
  • Southside Virginia: Microsoft continues to identify Virginia East US/East US 2 datacenter operations in Boydton, Virginia. Microsoft, accessed 2026-06-10

Notes on methodology

  • This update reviewed the existing file, current Virginia statutory and budget pages, LIS 2026 bill pages and summaries, SCC and FERC materials, state/local government reports, and February 1-July 17, 2026 news and trade reporting for legislation, local approvals, moratoriums, utility proceedings, grid interconnection, economic-impact reports, and project status changes.