An open letter to the Virginia General Assembly, and the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia –
Virginia is running out of time to protect our communities from “unconstrained” data center growth as evidenced by the JLARC study. VOTE YES on HB1601, SB960, and SB1047.
Citizens have exhausted every avenue of outreach to convince our elected leaders that the current path of data center growth – with no oversight – is not only harming our quality of life and putting at risk both our reliable affordable energy and the integrity of our unique history (Manassas Battlefield National Park, Chancellorsville Battlefield, Wilderness Battlefield, Prince William Forest National Park, Richmond battlefield), but also threatening our important critical natural resources including drinking water supplies like the Rappahannock River and the Occoquan Reservoir.
Our elected leaders do not have the luxury to wait yet another year to provide meaningful guardrails on the data center industry. We are fast approaching that pinnacle where it will be more and more difficult to mitigate the damage that is plainly happening in front of everyone’s eyes.
There is no longer any excuse for not supporting the three remaining bills that WILL provide critical transparency and begin the process of protecting the homes and pockets of every resident in the state of Virginia — HB1601, SB960, and SB1047
The facts cannot be denied or dismissed any longer. This is not a partisan issue. Virginians are NOT divided along party lines in rejecting the data center industrialization of their communities. Virginians are NOT divided along party lines to stop the increasing utility bills that will be felt if YOU do nothing.
Demanding oversight is not anti-data centers or anti progress. Indeed, to demand reasonable oversight and accountability IS the only way to protect residents and at the same time to incentivize innovation for this critical industry. Imagine a world with no seatbelts in cars or still using lead in paints and asbestos in insulation.
Here is what stands out to us: That the risk vs the benefit of industrializing Virginia — not only specific communities that suffer the greatest loss of quality of life, but the burden to us all — comes at too high a price, literally and figuratively.
You know there are impacts. Now is the time to act. Pass HB1601, SB960, and SB1047.
(NOTE: ALL Virginia state senators and delegates, as well as our governor and lieutenant governor, are receiving this email — along with concerned Virginia citizens.)