Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
Virginia Gov. Spanberger's Executive Order 22 creates an AI task force, bans data center NDAs, and moves to curb data center approvals.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Order 22, which bans executive branch officials from signing NDAs on data center projects, requires expedited noise regulations, and mandates a review of data center backup-generation operations. The order establishes an AI task force to evaluate workforce displacement, data privacy risks, and how existing law applies to AI harms. Spanberger also unveiled a Data Center Accountability Framework that would eliminate by-right approvals, remove some state subsidies, and add environmental guardrails. The move follows similar executive actions by governors in California, New York, and Texas as states act while Congress has been slow on AI and data center policy.
- Executive Order 22 bans NDAs for data center projects and mandates noise and generator reviews
- New AI task force will assess workforce displacement and data privacy risks to Virginians
- Data Center Accountability Framework targets by-right approvals, subsidies, and environmental guardrails
- Follows executive actions by Newsom, Hochul, and Abbott as states fill a federal policy gap
- Piedmont Environmental Council says the order falls short by not addressing existing projects
- Vendors
- Wordfence
- Organizations
- Piedmont Environment Council
From the original article
2 min read at theverge.com
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) ordered the state government to take steps that could empower local communities to have a larger say in data center development and slow down approvals in a state that is already home to the data center capital of the world.
By Lauren Feiner · theverge.com
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