More commercial electricity sold
Nearly 30 million more megawatt-hours in 2025 than in 2019. This covers the whole commercial sector; 2025 data were preliminary.
EIA · May 2026Virginia · Data centers · Public understanding
Big questions.
Clearer answers.
Data centers power our digital lives. Their growth also raises real questions about electricity, water, and the places we call home.
Get the facts, understand the tradeoffs, and help shape responsible growth in Virginia.
Evidence you can follow.Every key number has a source, a date, and a defined scope.See our sources →
The Virginia picture
Growth is real.
Context matters.
Read the number and its label together. Statewide, county, and electricity-grid figures answer different questions.
Built or in construction
The county’s inventory combines completed buildings and construction stages. It is not a count of operational facilities alone.
Loudoun CountyReported industry water use
Just over one-third was reclaimed water. Coverage included the large majority of facilities, with some data gaps.
JLARC, pp. 62–63Understand the essentials
The cloud has
a physical footprint.
Clear explanations of the systems behind the screen, from a server doing useful work to the infrastructure supporting it.
01What happens
How much
What should
What happens
inside?
Computing, storage, networks, cooling, and backup power.
See how it works →02How much
electricity?
Make sense of megawatts, energy use, and peak demand.
Try the power explainer →03What should
we ask?
Practical questions about water, noise, jobs, and accountability.
Open the question guide →The initiative
Better decisions
start with understanding.
Virginia Green Data Center Initiative connects public education, community discussion, and independent research on responsible data center growth.
Originated and led by Brianna O’Keeffe, the initiative brings a community-centered perspective to the relationship between data centers, energy, and public life.
Meet Brianna and discover what drives this work →Research
Explain the evidence and make its limits visible.
Discussion
Bring residents and technical specialists into the conversation. Events will be listed as they are confirmed.
Policy
Explain Virginia’s reforms, follow implementation, and identify questions that still need answers.
Our current focus
Virginia’s reforms.
Our next steps.
Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 22 on September 18, 2026. Our focus is helping residents understand the changes and preparing useful community input as implementation develops.
The Initiative’s earlier citizen proposal is paused for review against the new state direction. It remains available as background, with its status clearly marked.
What changes and what comes next →Get in touch
Request
information.
Have a question about the Initiative, Virginia’s reforms, or a local data center proposal? Send an inquiry and join the conversation.
For collaboration, speaking opportunities, local perspectives, or source corrections, use the form or email the initiative directly.
brianna@vagreendatacenters.org