For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Contact:
Lee Francis | Chief Program & Communications Officer
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(434) 989-3197 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – On Friday, the House of Delegates walked back its commitments to hold data centers to strong environmental safeguards. On Tuesday, the Senate rolled out a pay-to-pollute model that will tax dirty generators but not address the litany of other environmental and energy issues caused by data centers.
With neither chamber agreeing to take serious, comprehensive action to hold this industry accountable, Virginia LCV is joining with a coalition of partners in calling for a statewide pause on any data center approvals until such time that strong environmental standards and reforms are in place.
Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“Virginians are rightfully angry. The data center industry is polluting our air, driving up our electric bills and being a bad neighbor, and yet we are no closer today to solutions than we were in January. Virginia politicians are failing their voters. People are sick and tired of watching big corporations and the billionaires and trillionaires who run them get ahead at their expense. Without standards in place, the data center industry will continue to harm communities, pollute our air and water, and make it harder to secure our clean energy future. No more data center projects should be allowed to move forward until lawmakers pass the comprehensive solutions that Virginians deserve and demand.”
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
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