Data Centers

Virginia has become the data center capital of the world, but the people paying the price are often the communities seeing the fewest benefits. Rural counties have been promised jobs, infrastructure, and long-term economic growth, yet too often they are left with strained water supplies, higher energy costs, environmental concerns, damaged farmland, and infrastructure that taxpayers—not billion-dollar tech companies—end up paying for.

I support a federal moratorium on the construction of new h data centers until independent national standards are established for environmental impact, energy consumption, water usage, grid reliability, community impact, and long-term economic benefit. We should not continue approving projects faster than we can understand their consequences.

At the same time, we cannot ignore why many rural communities consider these projects in the first place. Too many towns have been left behind. When schools are underfunded, roads are crumbling, hospitals are closing, and good-paying jobs have disappeared, communities understandably look for any opportunity that promises investment.

That is why I support a Rural New Deal that gives local governments a real alternative. The federal government should invest directly in rural infrastructure, broadband, schools, healthcare, workforce development, and small business growth so communities never feel forced to choose between economic survival and protecting their land, water, and quality of life.

County governments also deserve better tools. It is unreasonable to expect local supervisors and planning commissions to become overnight experts in one of the world's most complex industries while negotiating against some of the wealthiest corporations on Earth. I will fight to create a federal technical assistance program that provides counties with independent experts, environmental studies, engineering support, and legal resources before any project is approved.

When companies violate permits, fail to deliver on promised investments, or misrepresent the impacts of their projects, local communities should not have to fight billion-dollar corporations alone. I support establishing a federal legal defense and enforcement fund that gives counties the resources to hold Big Tech accountable in court and ensures meaningful penalties for companies that break the rules.

Technology has an important place in our future, but innovation cannot come at the expense of our communities. We should welcome responsible investment—not corporate exploitation. The measure of success is not how many data centers we build, but whether the people who live there are better off because of them.

It's time to put people before profits and ensure that rural Virginia's future is shaped by its communities—not dictated by Big Tech.