After bills passed, NoVa lawmakers urge SCC to consider burying transmission lines • Virginia Mercury Two legislators asked the SCC last week to consider burying high-voltage transmission lines in Loudoun County.

The Golden to Mars transmission lines in Loudoun have been controversial for the residents there who are pleading with the SCC to order the lines be buried. New legislation sitting on the gov's desk helps set up a pilot program to do so. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/24/a...

Despite community opposition, Fluvanna supervisors approve gas plant permit • Virginia Mercury In a 4-1 vote, the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday voted to approve a conditional use permit for a natural gas plant.

The Fluvanna Board of Supervisors reversed the planning commission's vote that Tenaska's proposed second gas plant was not congruent with the county's comprehensive plan. Now the project moves on to the next round of permit applications. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/briefs/despi...

Data center bills dominated this year’s General Assembly. Here’s what passed. • Virginia Mercury The rapid growth of Virginia’s data center industry was a key point of focus during the 2026 legislative session.

How to regulate data centers was a major question in the General Assembly. See what ended up passing. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/17/d...

Governor Spanberger Signs Bills to Send Constitutional Amendments to Virginia Voters RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after signing legislation to set referendums on proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.

#VAgov Spanberger signs bills to send amendments to Virginia voters:
www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/new...
2

What a bunch of scumbags the #GOP is.

Here's their latest scam - trying to fool voters into believing the #VAgov Spanberger is trying to get you to vote NO on the constitutional amendment she actually wants you to vote YES on.

#PantsOnFire🔥 #Virginia
1

Va. Senate shoots down bill to add terrapin protections to recreational crab pots • Virginia Mercury A bill that would have required recreational crabbers to add terrapin by-catch devices onto their pots to prevent accidental drownings of the reptiles failed to pass out of the Virginia Senate.

After facing major pushback, the bill that aimed to require recreational crabbers to put terrapin by-catch devices on their pots to prevent the reptiles from drowning failed to make it through the General Assembly. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/13/v...

Plug-in solar panels near approval by General Assembly • Virginia Mercury Public interest in portable solar panels, often referred to as “balcony solar” panels, is growing inside and outside the state.

Bills to allow small portable solar panels in rentals are soon to head to Gov. Spanberger's desk. The aim is to save folks money by generating small amounts of their own power. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/10/p...

As Potomac River advisories lift, public concerns remain after sewage spill • Virginia Mercury Virginians can once again fish and swim in portions of the Potomac River that were affected when a sewage pipe collapsed in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Despite advisories being lifted following the massive sewage spill into the Potomac River, some are saying the public still don't want to go near it -- which is hurting business. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/09/a...

General Assembly nixes bills that required data centers to get SCC certificate • Virginia Mercury Two bills in the General Assembly sought to give the State Corporation Commission the authority to review how proposed high-load users.

Two bills would have required data centers to get a certificate of operation from the SCC after looking at how the projects would impact rates, grid reliability, and the environment. But both were shot down in committee. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/06/g...

Bills aimed at lowering utility bills also renew pricey power line burial program • Virginia Mercury Cost shifting capacity auction, distribution costs to data centers saves some money on bills, while extending strategic undergrounding program that adds up.

An effort to pass more costs onto data centers to give some bill relief to residential customers is advancing. But consumer advocates want the SCC to have more control over approving pricey power line undergrounding projects #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/04/b...

Virginia lawmakers reach agreement for first steps to monitor PFAS in biosolids • Virginia Mercury After multiple debates and meetings between stakeholders, a compromise has been reached on how Virginia can begin to monitor the presence of “forever chemicals,” in biosolids.

With just a couple more votes left to go, an agreement has been made on how the state can take the first steps towards addressing forever chemicals in biosolids that are used as fertilizer on Virginia farms. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/03/02/v...

Workers, Speaker Scott criticize plan to axe data center tax exemption as budgets advance • Virginia Mercury The Senate proposal to end the sales and use tax exemption that’s saved data centers over $1 billion passes with bipartisan support.

Speaker Don Scott told IBEW workers that he "loves data centers" and the union construction jobs they create. But the Senate passed a budget amendment to roll off the sales and use tax exemption for data centers in a bipartisan fashion. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/27/w...

In Democratic rebuttal, Spanberger accuses Trump of driving up costs and chaos • Virginia Mercury Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, just weeks after being sworn in as the commonwealth’s 75th governor, delivered a sharp Democratic rebuttal Tuesday night to President Donald Trump’s 107-minute State ...

Gov. Spanberger's rebuttal to Trump's State of the Union:

POTUS is driving up housing, health care, energy and grocery costs, creating chaos at home and weakening the U.S. abroad.

She also alleged corruption, saying he's
"enriching himself." #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/25/i...

Big Tech's fast-expanding plans for data centers are running into stiff community opposition Tech companies looking to plunge billions of dollars into ever-bigger data centers to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing are increasingly being voted down.

How much do data centers _cost_ the state and its citizens?

#valeg #vagov

apnews.com/article/data...

Home

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation moving this year's primary election from June 16 to August 4, according to a press release from the Virginia Department of Elections. #VAGOV #VAPol

I asked Gov. Spanberger about this plan and she said that data centers need to pay their fair share -- but there is a larger conversation about local tax benefits and what the industry means for the state. "I don't think that chicken's fully cooked yet." #valeg #vagov

Senators propose phasing out data center tax credit, House budget keeps it • Virginia Mercury Data center industry opposes rolling back tax credit that costs the state a billion dollars annually.

The Va. senate unveiled their amendments to Youngkin's final budget proposal -- a major change is doing away with the data center sales tax exemption. This would bring in $1-2 billion a year, but the industry says that is a bad idea. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/24/s...

What is ‘performance-based regulation’, and how can it lower utility bills? • Virginia Mercury Virginia lawmakers want regulators to study whether tying utility profits to performance — not spending — could cut costs, reduce outages and improve service.

Lawmakers are exploring how the state could implement "performance-based regulation" for utilities. Two bills task the SCC to find how to incentivize companies to meet policy goals for a reward. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/23/w...

Va. state senator pushes for water testing after 243 million-gallon sewage spill in Potomac River • Virginia Mercury Officials say there is no impact on drinking water, after Virginia Department of Health has issued a recreational advisory for 752.5 miles of the Virginia coast along the river.

After millions of gallons of untreated sewage spewed into the Potomac River last month, a Virginia state senator is pushing for more testing in Va. waters to ensure it is safe for those who earn a living on the river. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/20/v...

Legislature considers shifting power line costs from residents to data centers • Virginia Mercury Multiple measures working through the General Assembly could put more of the costs that are driving up residential power bills onto data centers.  They range from direct mandates to shift the costs of...

How much should data centers be picking up the cost of the power lines they mainly bring just them power? The legislature is weighing the options. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/19/l...

In effort to reduce animal-vehicle crashes, wildlife corridor fund bill advances to the Senate • Virginia Mercury A bill working through the General Assembly would create a new fund for wildlife corridors.

Legislation is advancing to set up a fund for wildlife crossings projects that the public can donate to when they renew their registration/ID/other online DMV transactions. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/briefs/in-ef...

Lawmakers debate how to regulate data centers’ diesel backup generators • Virginia Mercury The use of data center's generators became a flashpoint in communities concerned about the health impacts of the emissions and fueled legislation.

A few bills are still working through the General Assembly to look at how to regulate diesel backup generators for data centers that are creating air quality concerns in northern Virginia. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/17/l...

Biosolids ban bill watered down as negotiations over testing, notification continue • Virginia Mercury Proponents push for stricter regulations on fertilizer laced with “forever chemicals” as opponents say bill’s proposed standards would pose problems for agriculture, wastewater treatment industries.

The strictest of the biosolid legislation has been watered down to make it more workable, but debate continues over what Virginia will be able to achieve on the issue. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/12/b...

Bill would put more energy costs on data centers, slash residential customers' rates • Virginia Mercury Virginia's largest utility, state regulators and lawmakers say the measure would immediately drop residential bills by about $5.50 per month.

SB253 was amended last night to shift the cost of PJM capacity auctions and distribution lines/substations that only serve data centers onto that industry. It would cut residential bills by about $5 monthly. Dominion is all for it. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/10/b...

Bill to ban the use of herbicide paraquat in Va. advances with narrow vote • Virginia Mercury The use of the controversial herbicide paraquat has been banned in 70 nations across the world but is used widely in Virginia.

Virginia is taking steps to become the first state to ban the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat. But the vote to advance it was a narrow one. #valge #vagov

virginiamercury.com/briefs/bill-...

Bills to bolster local emergency management personnel funding punted • Virginia Mercury Report shows millions of Virginians live in an area “without sufficient staffing to maintain the critical functions” of emergency management

An effort to help localities hire on a full-time emergency manager was shifted to a study group amid budget constraints. Advocates urge the need for such positions as federal cuts threaten emergency response efforts. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/06/b...

‘We don't want to become the dumping grounds’: biosolids bill advances • Virginia Mercury Community concerns over PFAS continues to grow across the commonwealth.

A Va. state senator is trying to prevent PFAS from being spread on farms through biosolids. Communities are growing concerned about the forever chemicals -- while the biosolids remain a benefit to farmers and municipalities. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/04/w...

Va. watermen push back against terrapin protections on crab pots • Virginia Mercury Legislation looks to require devices on some crab pots to prevent turtles from getting stuck inside.

Yesterday dozens of Virginia watermen came to Richmond to speak against a bill that would require bycatch devices on crab pots in some areas to prevent diamondback terrapins from drowning. They say it'll cut their catch in half. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/03/v...

As ICE seeks to expand footprint in Va., Youngkin’s final-day prison sale directive draws scrutiny • Virginia Mercury On his last full day in office, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin instructed state officials to move forward with selling the shuttered Augusta Correctional Center to a Florida-based asset management compa...

🧨 As ICE eyes expansion in Virginia, former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s last-day directive to sell a shuttered Augusta County prison is drawing scrutiny over a potential detention site.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger has since paused the sale. #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/03/a...

Va. bill to boost local approvals of solar projects advances • Virginia Mercury A bill that would set up a framework for siting solar projects that localities could follow and that prohibits the blocking solar projects.

Legislation is advancing to set up a recommended standard of how a solar project could look in terms of siting to help bolster the amount of projects getting approved on the local level. But some fear it is taking away local authority. #valeg #vagov

virginiamercury.com/2026/02/02/v...