A sample from this collection
A few sources to start with.
State policy and legislation · Virginia
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia General Assembly · December 9, 2024 (JLARC Report 598, report cover) · Web summary with links to full report
JLARC reviewed the data center industry in Virginia at the Commission's 2023 direction. The summary finds that economic benefits come mostly from construction, that local governments with data centers collect substantial business personal property and real property tax revenue, and that an independent forecast shows unconstrained power demand in Virginia doubling within 10 years with data centers as the main driver. It addresses backup diesel generator emissions, water use, homes near data centers, and low frequency noise, and lays out options to extend, let expire, or make partial the state sales and use tax exemption scheduled to expire in 2035. Recommendations include letting utilities delay but not deny service, a Dominion stranded cost plan filed with the SCC, and express local authority to require water use estimates, sound modeling studies and maximum sound levels.
- “the data center industry is estimated to contribute 74,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in labor income, and $9.1 billion in GDP to Virginia's economy annually” (What We Found, economic benefits section)
- “For the five localities with relatively mature data center markets, data center revenue ranged from less than 1 percent to 31 percent of total local revenue.” (What We Found, local tax revenue section)
- “A typical residential customer of Dominion Energy could experience generation- and transmission-related costs increasing by an estimated $14 to $37 monthly in constant (or real) dollars by 2040” (What We Found, cost of service section)
- “One-third of data centers are currently located near residential areas” (What We Found, residential impacts section)
- “providing $928 million in tax savings in FY23” (What We Found, sales tax exemption section)
Who should read it:
Local elected officials, planning and zoning staff, finance directors and economic development staff weighing data center proposals, and state legislators considering incentives or ratepayer rules.
Limitations:
The report notes that actions the state could encourage or require of data centers, such as demand response and energy efficiency, "would have only a marginal impact on decreasing data center energy demand," and its forecasts depend on scenario assumptions about unconstrained and half-of-unconstrained demand. Findings are specific to Virginia.
Cite as:
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia General Assembly. “Data Centers in Virginia.” December 9, 2024 (JLARC Report 598, report cover). https://jlarc.virginia.gov/landing-2024-data-centers-in-virginia.asp
Utility rates and ratepayer protection
Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program, Electricity Law Initiative (Eliza Martin and Ari Peskoe) · March 5, 2025 · Research paper
The summary page describes a paper by Eliza Martin and Ari Peskoe on how utilities serving new data centers for Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and others expand their systems with new power plants and transmission lines, which utilities profit from building. It explains that regulated rates socialize a utility's costs among ratepayers and argues that the same structures now make the public pay for infrastructure built for a few large corporations. The authors reviewed regulatory proceedings on data center rates, describe how rate structures and secret contracts between utilities and data centers could transfer costs to the public, and offer recommendations to limit hidden subsidies. They also question whether utility regulators should be the ones deciding whether to subsidize data centers.
- “The authors reviewed nearly 50 regulatory proceedings about utility rates for data centers.” (Summary page, third paragraph)
- “the paper explains how rate structures, as well as secret contracts between utilities and data centers, could be transferring Big Tech's energy costs to the public” (Summary page, third paragraph)
- “It also provides recommendations to limit hidden subsidies in utility rates.” (Summary page, third paragraph)
Who should read it:
Local officials and residents who intervene in or comment on utility rate cases, municipal utility boards, and anyone asking whether a data center deal will raise household bills.
Limitations:
None stated on the summary page; the full paper was not reviewed.
Cite as:
Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program, Electricity Law Initiative (Eliza Martin and Ari Peskoe). “Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepayers Are Paying for Big Tech's Power.” March 5, 2025. https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/extracting-profits-from-the-public-how-utility-ratepayers-are-paying-for-big-techs-power/
Missouri and Kansas
Missouri Public Service Commission · undated (web page; also offered as a PDF fact sheet) · Regulator web page / fact sheet
The page explains that Missouri Senate Bill 4 of 2025 required the PSC to adopt rates for large load customers, including data centers, that reflect their costs and keep other customers from unjust or unreasonable costs. It states that Ameren Missouri and Evergy have approved large-load tariffs and that the Liberty Utilities case (ET-2026-0184) is in progress. It lists the protections adopted: minimum service contracts, financial security and collateral, exit and early termination fees, a minimum monthly bill, cost stabilization recovery, and optional renewable and carbon-free programs at the customer's expense.
- “provide collateral in the amount of two years of minimum monthly bills” (Financial Security and Collateral Requirements)
- “a monthly demand charge set at 80% of the agreed upon rate” (Minimum Monthly Bill)
Who should read it:
Kansas City area and other Missouri local officials evaluating data center proposals in Ameren, Evergy or Liberty territory.
Limitations:
none stated
Cite as:
Missouri Public Service Commission. “Utility Tariffs for Large Load Customers in Missouri.” undated (web page; also offered as a PDF fact sheet). https://psc.mo.gov/General/Utility_Tariffs_for_Large_Load_Customers
