Democratic senator Russet Perry, who represents Loudoun County, has filed Senate Bill 843 proposing that state agencies stop approving data center planning applications for three years from July 1, 2027, giving lawmakers time to write statewide rules for the industry. Perry cited rising electric bills, transmission lines and grid strain in comments reported by the Loudoun Times-Mirror, and the proposal follows a 12 month moratorium in Loudoun County itself and tighter planning controls in neighbouring Prince William County. Governor Abigail Spanberger has stopped short of backing a moratorium, introducing a Data Center Accountability Framework last month instead.
Virginia senator proposes three year statewide data center moratorium
Virginia state senator Russet Perry has proposed Senate Bill 843, a three year moratorium that would stop state agencies approving data center planning applications from July 1, 2027.
Why it matters: Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, and a statewide pause there would extend the permitting backlash that has already produced an environmental permit freeze in Oregon.
Data as of Reported October 15, 2026. Single-sourced: Datacenter Dynamics, reporting the senator's comments to the Loudoun Times-Mirror; the proposal is Senate Bill 843 in the Virginia legislature.
Sources
- Virginia senator proposes three-year state-wide data center moratorium · Datacenter Dynamics · 2026-10-15