New Polling Supports VA Governor’s Data Center Accountability Framework. Statement from Deploy Action
“The aggressive standards I rolled out today for data centers are not a temporary fix. This is a new way forward for how this industry does business in Virginia,” said Gov. Abigail Spanberger (Photo via Gov. Spanberger on Facebook)
Polling results released today by Deploy Action and Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance show that Virginia voters support some of the principles announced by Gov. Spanberger today.
Here is a statement from Deploy Action Executive Director Arnab Pal:
“The data center and AI principles announced today by the governor of the data center capital of the world show how states can lead on responsible large load growth by containing the costs, adding flexibility, emphasizing clean energy, and insisting on strong labor standards and wages where possible,” said Arnab Pal, executive director of Deploy Action. “Most importantly, our recent polling shows that Virginians of both parties want guardrails on data center buildout that are in line with what the governor outlined today – namely, delivering benefits to local communities, including lowering electricity prices and using clean, renewable energy.”
Some highlights of the poll, which can be found here:
Voters overwhelmingly want data centers to pay for their power and want it to be clean.
Voters support requiring they generate their own power, including 82% who support requiring this energy to be renewable.
About three-quarters of voters want regulators to consider having data centers pay for their full energy costs as a condition in the pending Dominion-NextEra merger.
The governor's data center principles show leadership on calling on large loads to lower Virginians' energy costs and deliver benefits to the communities that they're situated in or neighboring.
A plurality of voters blame growing energy demand for rising energy bills. 46% of respondents thought that growing demand for energy including from AI data centers was most responsible for rising energy bills.
Over three-quarters of Virginians opposed data centers in their local area.
But Virginians were more likely to support data centers when they commit to lower voters’ energy costs or deliver benefits to their communities. 76% of voters (including 80% of independents and two-thirds of Republicans) support data center developers funding improvements that lower nearby resident's bills by 20% or more.
Nine in ten voters support requiring data centers to pay the full cost of new energy infrastructure.
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ABOUT DEPLOY ACTION
Deploy Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit dedicated to removing barriers to clean energy deployment at the state level. Our organization champions smart, equitable energy reforms that prioritize grid reliability, regional coordination, and consumer affordability. We’re technology-neutral and results-focused. Deploy Action supports deploying energy technology solutions that lower costs, improve reliability, and strengthen economic competitiveness. https://www.deploy-action.org/
MEDIA CONTACT: Dina Cappiello, dina@lifecyclecommunications.com