Virginia sets a 25 MW data-center threshold

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 22 and unveiled a data-center accountability framework that would require local approval for any new facility using more than 25 megawatts of power. The governor’s framework announcement also directs agencies to end state nondisclosure agreements for data-center projects, strengthen water and backup-power standards, and shift more grid costs to large-load customers; proposed legislation would carry parts into 2027. For builders, 25 MW is now a community-negotiation threshold in Virginia, not merely a utility-interconnection number—an escalation of the AI data-center power and household-bill problem.