Virginia will become the first state to conduct an analysis of emissions from diesel backup generators at data centers, Governor Abigail Spanberger said during an appearance on NBC Nightly News yesterday. The move comes through Executive Order 22, which will establish new standards for future data center construction.
Spanberger said data centers in Virginia had previously been built "with little regard" for community impacts. "We are putting clear standards in place and ensuring that what has been permitted in years past is not permitted into the future," she said.
The governor's Data Center Accountability Framework, unveiled last month, includes several directives already in effect: expediting development of data center noise regulations, banning state employees from entering non-disclosure agreements for data center projects, and directing a thorough review of backup-generation operations by data centers.