Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic Governor of Virginia, the state with the largest concentration of data centers in the United States. On September 18, 2026 she signed Executive Order 22 and released a Data Center Accountability Framework, the two instruments that set out her administration's policy on data center development and on AI (Source: theverge.com).
Data centers
Executive Order 22 bars executive-branch agencies from entering into or requiring nondisclosure agreements on proposed commercial data center projects, excludes new projects with peak demand of 25 MW or more from state site-readiness and expedited-review assistance, creates a tiered VA-LEAD designation for data centers, and directs expedited noise regulation, a cumulative review of diesel and other backup generation and cooling-water rulemaking (Virginia Executive Order 22 (2026) — data center accountability and AI task force). The accompanying Framework proposes legislation for the 2027 General Assembly session, including ending by-right approval by requiring local approval of any data center using more than 25 megawatts, ending state subsidies in site development programs, removing future large projects from fast-track permitting, and allocating a larger share of transmission and generation costs to data centers and other large loads Virginia Executive Order 22 (2026) and the Data Center Accountability Framework — signed texts. Spanberger said the Framework "is about delivering a better deal for Virginians and holding data center companies, developers, and operators accountable" (Source: governor.virginia.gov).
The Piedmont Environmental Council, which has advocated a moratorium, said the package "largely addresses standards on new data centers and does not deal with what's already built and in the pipeline" (Source: theverge.com). See Data Center Siting / AI Power Politics.
Artificial intelligence
Part II of the order creates a rapid-response AI Task Force, led by the Chief Transformation Officer, Counsel to the Governor and the Secretary of Administration, to address risks including workforce displacement, data privacy and cybersecurity and to determine how existing law applies to AI harms (Virginia Executive Order 22 (2026) — data center accountability and AI task force). Spanberger said: "With the Trump Administration failing to listen to the growing concerns of Virginians, we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that the technology around Artificial Intelligence is developed safely and responsibly" (Source: governor.virginia.gov). The order was signed the same day as California Governor Gavin Newsom's Executive Order N-9-26, and both recite federal inaction as their occasion. See State-Level AI Regulation.
Relationships
- related: Virginia Executive Order 22 (2026) — data center accountability and AI task force — issuing governor
- related: Data Center Siting / AI Power Politics — Virginia's data center accountability policy
- related: Gavin Newsom — parallel state executive action on AI the same day