{"id":1414,"date":"2026-08-14T20:51:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T20:51:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valcv26.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=valcv_release&#038;p=1414"},"modified":"2026-08-14T20:51:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T20:51:40","slug":"poll-shows-overwhelming-majority-of-virginians-want-more-oversight-and-controls-on-data-center-industry","status":"publish","type":"valcv_release","link":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/newsroom\/poll-shows-overwhelming-majority-of-virginians-want-more-oversight-and-controls-on-data-center-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll Shows Overwhelming Majority of Virginians Want More Oversight and Controls on Data Center Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RICHMOND<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/valcv.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/VirginiaLCV-June-2026-Data-Center-Poll-Results.pdf\">released a poll<\/a>&nbsp;conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) that shows 72% of Virginians believe the data center industry needs more regulation and oversight. Despite months of debate, this poll comes as the Virginia state legislature\u2019s proposed 2026 budget failed to require basic clean energy or community standards in return for lucrative sales and tax exemptions for the data center industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite growing concerns from communities across the Commonwealth about the impacts of large-scale data center development on water resources, energy demand, air quality, public health, and land use, lawmakers missed a critical opportunity to enact reforms that would better protect Virginians and the natural resources they depend upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highlights of the PPP poll include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>65% of respondents said they would oppose a large data center being built in their community;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>59% believe that data centers should not be allowed to power their facilities with on-site polluting fuels like methane gas or diesel generators; and,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>88% believe local governments should not keep secret details about data center projects from the public, despite numerous local officials signing non-disclosure agreements with the industry;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>71% believe that data center construction should be paused if lawmakers decide to study what\u2019s needed to protect ratepayers and the environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVirginians are tired of their lawmakers providing massive tax breaks to the data center industry without clear consumer, community and clean energy guardrails,\u201d said Virginia LCV Executive Director Michael Town. \u201cThe legislature\u2019s proposed deal fails to make meaningful progress on community protections, clean energy and electric rates that voters were promised on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One clear area of public support, clean energy: 54% said they would be \u201cmore likely\u201d to support a project that was required to protect water and land resources and required to be powered by clean energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe public wants their government to act now, and protect them from the damage this industry is doing to their wallets and their communities, said VALCV Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, Blair St. Ledger-Olson.\u201cIf the Virginia legislature delays action, we call on Governor Spanberger to stand up for the people and pause all data center permitting until lawmakers enact reasonable and meaningful standards and controls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the legislature deciding to study the issue further and delay action until 2027, the poll shows that Virginians want action now: 51% \u201cthink guardrails should be enacted now\u201d while only 31% believe there should be a six month study on guardrails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The full poll results can be found attached&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/valcv.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/VirginiaLCV-June-2026-Data-Center-Poll-Results.pdf\">at this link<\/a>. PPP interviewed 687 registered voters in Virginia on June 18-19, 2026. The margin of error for the poll is +\/- 3.7%. 65% of interviews were conducted by text and 35% by landline.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RICHMOND&nbsp;\u2013 Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters&nbsp;released a poll&nbsp;conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) that shows 72% of Virginians believe the data center industry needs more regulation and oversight. Despite months of debate, this poll comes as the Virginia state legislature\u2019s proposed 2026 budget failed to require basic clean energy or community standards in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-1414","valcv_release","type-valcv_release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/valcv_release\/1414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/valcv_release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/valcv_release"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/valcv_release\/1414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1415,"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/valcv_release\/1414\/revisions\/1415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valcv.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}