Virginia Residents Want Data Center…Virginia Residents Want Data Center Growth With Stronger Oversight

A fall 2025 survey of 1,004 residents in Northern Virginia and the Richmond metropolitan area found support for data center development alongside preferences for stronger safeguards. Respondents particularly favored underground transmission lines, limits on sites near homes, schools, and parks, regular energy and water-use reporting, and public input before approval. Recent Virginia disputes and changing county review rules show how these preferences intersect with local development decisions and concerns about infrastructure costs.