2025 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Priorities

DATA CENTER REFORM

Last year, legislators passed-by every data center reform bill, with the comment that the issues should be studied. In December 2024, JLARC released its Data Center report, citing significant concerns on many fronts, such as insatiable energy needs that may not be able to be met, water usage impacts, and inappropriate citing near residences, schools, and parks.

This year, many more bills have died, but there are still two we are keeping an eye on. Also, Piedmont Environmental Council’s “Four Pillars” page lists all of the data center bills they are tracking (listed at the bottom).

• THESE BILLS ]WERE WEAKEND BY THE GOVERNOR and then ULTIMATELY KILLED FOR THIS SESSION – they’ll come back next year, but watered down:HB1601 / SB1449 – Allows a locality to require a site assessment of the impact on surrounding resources by a proposed high-energy use facility (e.g. data center)
  These bills have each passed their respective houses and will be brought to the Governor’s desk for signing. (View talking points)

• SEVERAL BILLS DIED IN COMMITTEE – A few key bills we were tracking have failed to progress:
  • (1) HB2027 would’ve ensured responsible data center growth through statewide regulatory review 
  • (2) HB2035/SB1353 was the most important “transparency” bill allowing robust reporting on energy use, water consumption and emissions
  • (3) SB1196 would’ve tied data center tax exemptions and benefits to clean energy and efficiency standards, and
  • (4) SB899 would’ve allowed locales to get use data center water consumption estimates when deciding to approve a rezoning or special use permit.
  • (5) SB960 would’ve protected residents and businesses from the risk and of subsidizing billions of dollars of data center industry’s energy infrastructure needs. It’s companion bill HB2101 failed to progress early on, but SB960 persevered through to the end of session. However, SB960 went “to Conference” with HB2084, and it failed to pass out of Conference. This process is meant to combine two bills that are similar.
    • HB2084 did pass and was signed by the Governor, however, this legislation is relatively weak, only solidifying was is already possible under law, but not further protecting ratepayers. 

Ecology / Conservation

• THESE BILLS WERE SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR and will take affect in 2027 – HB1941 / SB1166 – Prohibits nurseries from selling 39 invasive plant species unless there is signage warning it is invasive
  These bills have each passed their respective houses and will be brought to the Governor’s desk for signing. We are grateful that the bills have made it this far, despite the effective date being moved back one year, from 2026 to 2027. (View talking points)

• LEFT / DIED IN COMMITTEE – HB2025 / SB1341 – Requires VDOT to establish a program for highway wildlife crossings and collect data on wildlife carcass removal to identify problem areas
  Unfortunately, both bills failed to progress. (View talking points)
• LEFT / DIED IN COMMITTEE – HB2059 – Provides $230 million in annual funding to make more outdoor spaces accessible to all Virginians. (View talking points)

Renewable energy

• THIS BILL PASSED BUT VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR –  – HB2037– Allow localities to require solar canopy over new non-residential parking projects
  This bill is headed to the Governor’s desk for signing. (View talking points)
  
  
• BOTH BILLS PASSED, BUT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSED EDITS THAT WERE REJECTED, HENCE KILLING THESE BILLS – HB1883 / SB1040 – Promotes growth of renewable energy by providing more options for solar and wind generation
  These bills have each passed their respective houses and will be brought to the Governor’s desk for signing. (View talking points)

Water

• LEFT / DIED IN COMMITTEE – HB1950 – Creates a large-scale Living Shorelines Fund for matching grants for local governments or federally recognized tribes (View talking points)
• LEFT / DIED IN COMMITTEE – HB1618 – Provides for study of occurrence of microplastics in public drinking water (View talking points)
• 1/23: FAILED TO PROGRESS – HB2348 – Requires sellers to disclose if property is located within a flood hazard area.  This bill failed to proceed last year, but went to the Housing Commission over the summer and fall which produced this bill. It is a disappointment to see this transparency bill fail again this year. (View talking points)