Virginia Energy Bills Rising 20 Years: Spanberger’s Own Official Admits It

Governor Abigail Spanberger and Democrats campaigned hard on affordability. Now her own chief energy officer is telling Virginians to expect higher utility bills for the next 20 years — driven by aging plants, decarbonization, and the massive power demands of data centers.

In this Virginia Insider breakdown, Uriah Kiser examines new reporting from the Daily Progress and statements from Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond.

Allmond confirmed that large commercial loads — including the hundreds of data centers concentrated in Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley — are a major reason ratepayers are seeing higher bills. Virginia already hosts the world’s densest cluster of these facilities, with hundreds more planned. Residential customers make up only about a third of electricity use while shouldering infrastructure costs.

Republican State Senator Glen Sturtevant is now calling on Governor Spanberger to issue an executive order placing an immediate moratorium on new data center approvals and expansions while a legislative study on the industry’s impacts continues. Sturtevant argues the state should not keep green-lighting projects while it is still studying the strain on the power grid, transmission lines, and water resources. Democrats and Republicans alike have raised concerns about rising costs and local impacts, yet Spanberger’s office has not responded to the latest calls.

This is the same administration that promised to bring down the cost of living. Instead, Virginians are looking at two more decades of climbing energy bills while data centers continue to expand under existing tax preferences. Watch as we unpack Allmond’s comments, the push for a pause, the sales-tax exemption debate, and what it all means for families across the Commonwealth.

If this matters to you, like the video, drop your thoughts in the comments, hit the notification bell, and subscribe so you never miss Virginia news that affects your wallet and your community. Download the Virginia Insider podcast wherever you listen.

Sources:

https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/government-politics/article_cba077c2-0dbf-4522-93d6-a568c5a3848a.html

https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/senator-data-center-moratorium/

Support Virginia Insider

Become a Member → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRsz0wQzFOpQG6_HUwLMRA/join

Follow Virginia Insider:

• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@VirginiaInsider

• X → https://x.com/virginiainsider

• Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/virginiainsider

• Rumble → https://rumble.com/c/c-7897060