High electric demand facility; locality may include in its zoning ordinance water use estimate.
Summary
Zoning; data centers; water use. Authorizes a locality to include in its zoning ordinance provisions for (i) requiring proposed data center developments to submit water use estimates and (ii) considering water use when making rezoning and special use permit decisions related to data center development.
Bill status
failed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2025
Senate Passage
Jan 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 5, 2025
Last action Jan 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Local Government Substitute
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended from its original introduction to a Senate substitute version, primarily changing the title to reflect 'high electric demand facility' instead of 'data centers' and updating the bill number and session details. The substantive policy content regarding zoning regulations, penalties, and enforcement mechanisms appears to remain largely unchanged in the visible text.
Scope change
The bill's scope description was updated from 'data centers' to 'high electric demand facility', broadening the terminology to potentially cover a wider range of energy-intensive facilities beyond just data centers.
DEFINITION
Changed the bill title reference from 'data centers' to 'high electric demand facility' to broaden the scope of facilities covered by the zoning regulations.
TECHNICAL
Updated bill identification numbers and session dates to reflect the Senate substitute version filed on January 27, 2025.
Changed the bill status from 'Introduced' to 'Senate Substitute' indicating it has been amended by the Senate Committee on Local Government.
Floor votes · Senate Jan 28, 2025
How they voted
39–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Jan 28, 2025
D
Democratic21
100% Yea
R
Republican19
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
12
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Jan 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Local Government with substitute (7-Y 6-N 2-A)
upper
Jan 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Local Government
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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