Two themes have emerged in the first half of the General Assembly session this year. First, legislators have no intention of stopping the data center boom, even temporarily. And second, their preference for dealing with the skyrocketing energy demand is to piece together a lot of small and medium-sized initiatives in hopes they all add […]
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Members of the Virginia House of Delegates meet at the Capitol in Richmond on the opening day of the 2026 General Assembly session, Jan. 14, 2026. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)
Two themes have emerged in the first half of the General Assembly session this year. First, legislators have no intention of stopping the data center boom, even temporarily. And second, their preference for dealing with the skyrocketing energy demand is to piece together a lot of small and medium-sized initiatives in hopes they all add up to enough to meet the moment. If it doesn’t work, that’s a problem for next year.
