Siting of large data centers; site assessment, standards, civil penalties.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Rules for Large Data Centers

This bill sets rules for local governments when they consider allowing large data centers in their area, including requirements for public hearings and environmental impact studies.

What This Bill Does

• Requires localities to hold a public hearing before approving any rezoning application or special use permit for the siting or major expansion of a large data center.
• Needs the applicant to do a site assessment that includes specific information about noise, light pollution, water usage, air emissions, traffic impacts, and other effects on nearby homes and schools.
• Requires localities to hold another public hearing after receiving the site assessment report from the data center applicant.
• Gives the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) the job of reviewing these assessments and setting standards for them by July 1, 2027.
• Allows DEQ to issue notices if a large data center violates any rules or standards set out in this bill.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local governments that consider rezoning applications or special use permits for new large data centers or major expansions of existing ones.
• Applicants who want to build or expand large data centers.
• The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Terms To Know

site assessment

A detailed study that looks at the environmental and community impacts of building a new large data center or expanding an existing one.

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

The state agency responsible for protecting Virginia's environment, including air quality, water resources, and land use.

Limits and Unknowns

• Some parts of the bill will not take effect until July 1, 2027.
• It does not specify what happens if a large data center violates the rules after receiving a notice from DEQ.

Official Summary Text

Department of Environmental Quality; siting of large data centers; site assessment; standards; civil penalties.
Requires a locality, prior to any approval of a rezoning application, special exception, or special use permit for the siting or major expansion of a large data center, as those terms are defined in the bill, to conduct an initial public hearing regarding such siting or expansion and to require the applicant to perform a site assessment including certain specified information and to submit such site assessment to the locality and the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department). The bill directs the locality to hold a second public hearing upon such submission. The bill requires the Department to review such site assessment to ensure compliance with site assessment standards established by the Department, including standards for noise impacts, light pollution and illumination at night, water usage and source impacts, air emissions, traffic and other construction-phase impacts, and other impacts of proximity to residential units and schools. The bill permits the Department to issue a notice of any violation of its provisions to a large data center, to require corrective or supplemental mitigation actions as a condition of continued approval, and to assess civil penalties against or revoke any approval for a large data center that continues such violation for more than 60 days after receiving such notice. The bill authorizes the Office of the Attorney General to bring an action against a large data center for injunctive or other appropriate relief to enforce the bill's provisions. Certain provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. In addition, the bill directs the Department to develop site assessment standards for large data centers by July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

SB 552

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Line 20, introduced, after
15.2-2209.4
.

insert

Such submission shall include an application fee as determined by the Department.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2. Line 45, introduced, after
require

strike

one

insert

25

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

3. Line 48, introduced, after
than

strike

one megawatt

insert

25 megawatts

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

4. Line 81, introduced, after
act

insert

, and shall establish a reasonable application fee for site assessments conducted pursuant to such section