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The cost for the power Virginia’s booming data center businesses use is on track to shift in a big way to other ratepayers, a legislative watchdog says.

Helped by a nearly $1 billion tax break, thanks to an exemption from state sales taxes, Virginia has become home to the world’s biggest concentration of the electricity-hungry facilities, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission heard on Monday.

There are many more coming. But building all the power plants, high-voltage transmission lines and substations that could be needed if the data center boom continues as forecast could boost what might now be a $90-a-month electric bill by $23 in just five years, JLARC staff said.

And as giant plants, requiring factory-like amounts of water and lines of back-up diesel generators, buzz away increasingly close to residential areas and parks, they have stirred strong but generally unsuccessful opposition from neighbors.

“Data centers are industrial facilities that are largely incompatible with residential neighborhoods,” said state Sen. Danica Roem, D-Prince William.

She said the JLARC staff study cited multiple data centers in her Northern Virginia district — industrial facilities that she said have been placed disconcertingly close to homes.

“The residents have said this all along ... there has to be a definition that every locality adopts where data centers are considered industrial use and that they stay the hell away from our homes, parks, schools and anywhere else where the community gathers,” Roem said.

Proposed regulation

Roem and other lawmakers leaving the JLARC meeting said they expect legislation in the 2025 session that starts Jan. 8 to regulate the impact of data centers on everyone else.

“I think there will be three buckets,” said state Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William.

“There’s the site issue,” he said, adding that the legislature may need to look at what the state requires local zoning ordinances say about data center location and noise levels.

“Another bucket is the sales tax exemption ... the third is costs of generation and transmission,” McPike said.

Revising the tax exemption, to make it subject to specific goals on how a developer uses electricity or other resources, is one issue that McPike expects to be discussed.

Roem thinks doing away with the exemption to slow the pace of data center development makes sense, but said she thinks it might be difficult to get through the General Assembly.

State Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, said the General Assembly needs to keep the positive economic impact of data centers in mind, as well.

“In Hanover, they’ve just approved one ... it’ll help fund new schools,” he said. “They looked at all aspects and decided for it.”

Still, the high cost of building more power plants as data centers continue to flock to Virginia is an issue that the assembly will need to look at, McDougle said.

“I think we need to think about how those costs are allocated,” he said.

McDougle said Virginia needs to be sensitive to the impact of data centers on national security, especially as reliance on artificial intelligence, which requires much more data center capacity, becomes ever more important.

He is also concerned about the financial impact on Virginia’s electric cooperatives and their member-customers, since many of the hottest areas for data center development are in territories served by these small not-for-profit power companies.

Northern Virginia already hosts the world’s largest concentration of data centers, and more are coming there, in the Richmond area and along the Interstate 95 corridor.

To meet the huge data-crunching demands of artificial intelligence services, the newest versions are even more electricity-hungry than the current ones.

Dominion Energy’s latest long-term forecast has said 16 data centers are slated to come online in 2024, requiring some 1,000 megawatts of generating capacity, enough to power 250,000 homes.

On top of that, developers have contracted with Dominion for power lines and substations to handle even more data centers, consuming an additional 5,835 megawatts.

During the 2024 session, the General Assembly set aside several bills aimed at tightening local government oversight of data centers, until JLARC could complete this study.

‘Ground zero’

“The JLARC report is a wakeup call for policymakers,” said Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William.

He said a 1,000-megawatt data center campus, like one in his legislative district, uses more electricity than Dominion’s Lake Anna nuclear plant produces.

“District 21 in western Prince William County is ground zero for the challenges posed by data centers, and the concerns of our families must come first,” he said.

“This report reinforces what we’ve been fighting for in Richmond: reform that ensures data centers pay their fair share, protect our natural resources, and respect the character of our neighborhoods.”

He said he plans to introduce legislation to do that.

Youngkin’s take

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the JLARC study showed “Virginia has a simple choice: embrace ‘all of the above’ and deliver affordable, reliable, and, yes, increasingly clean baseload power to support future economic growth, while taking advantage of the billions of dollars in capital investment, high-paying jobs, and local and state tax revenues that come from data centers; or bend the knee to a green energy agenda and give away Virginia’s leadership position.”

Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller, saying the JLARC review of data center impacts on air quality and water was insufficient, called on the General Assembly to take immediate steps “to mitigate the unfettered development and energy crisis by contract Dominion Energy has created.”

Nate Benforado, senior attorney focused on energy policy at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said: “Our existing systems — at the local, state and utility level — are simply not equipped to handle the speed and scale of data center growth in Virginia.”

He added: “We can’t afford delaying reforms, particularly as utilities continue to weaponize this industry as a means of collecting billions of dollars from their customers for fossil fuel projects — subverting the law while harming Virginians.”

Dave Ress (804) 649-6948

dress@timesdispatch.com

Data centers

Virginia lawmakers are considering regulation of data centers. Proposed legislation could include multiple topics, such as:

Zoning: Data centers could be designated for industrial use to keep them away from residential neighborhoods.

Taxes: Lawmakers will look at the current exemption from state sales taxes that has given data centers a nearly $1 billion tax break. Legislators could tie it to specific goals.

Power generation: Lawmakers could look at ways to further insulate ratepayers from the rising cost of generating power for data centers.

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Richmond, Va. – University of Richmond head football coach Russ Huesman announced the Spiders' 2025 signing class on Wednesday, marking the beginning of the early signing period for National Signing Day. These student-athletes will be eligible for competition starting in the 2025 season. Richmond's signing day is presented by Owen & Owens.

The 2025 class represents eight different position groups, with signees hailing from six states and two countries outside the U.S.

With a strong emphasis on defense, the class includes 10 defensive players out of 16 total signees. The defensive group features four defensive backs, four defensive linemen, and two linebackers. On the offensive side, the class includes one quarterback, one offensive lineman, one running back and two wide receivers.

The class also has a local flair, with three players from the 804 area code and an additional four from across Virginia. The class also features an Australian punter who comes from the same program that once developed All-CAA punter Aaron Trusler.

Once a student-athlete has signed their National Letter of Intent, each signee will be listed below in alphabetical order, along with a link to their highlight videos. Fans can follow along with the day's updates on social media by following @Spiders_FB on Twitter and @SpiderFootball on Instagram.

2025 Richmond Football Signing Class Moses Bailey | Defensive Line | 6-3, 240 | North Laurel, Md. | Reservoir Tramayne Bullock | Defensive Back | 6-2, 175 | Alexandria, Va. | Episcopal Jack Callaghan | Quarterback | 6-2, 210 | Richmond, Va. | Collegiate Michael Creamer | Running Back | 6-0, 210 | Falmouth, Va. | Stafford Devin Geronomi | Defensive Back | 6-2, 170 | Lexington, S.C. | White Knoll Ned Gray | Punter | 6-2, 180 | Melbourne, Australia | St. Leonard's Donovan Higgins | Wide Receiver | 6-0, 183 | Nashville, Tenn. | Pearl-Cohn Bryce Lee | Defensive Line | 6-3, 260 | Charlotte, N.C. | Independence Elijah Lee | Defensive Back | 5-11, 172 | Randallstown, Md. | Randallstown Matthew Martin | Wide Receiver | 6-4, 205 | Mechanicsville, Va. | Atlee Brady McIntyre | Offensive Line | 6-5, 310 | Mechanicsville, Va. | Mechanicsville Jack Reece | Defensive Line | 6-3, 280 | Chatham, Va. | Chatham Christian Soltis | Linebacker | 6-3, 215 | Princeton, N.J. | Hun School Jackson Thorne | Linebacker | 6-1, 225 | Ashburn, Va. | Independence Jeremiah Washington | Defensive Back | 5-10, 170 | Hamilton, Ontario | Choate Tanner Wheeler | Defensive Line | 6-5, 265 | Bethlehem, Pa. | Freedom

The registrar and deputy registrar stepped down following an investigation

Updated: Dec. 4, 2024 at 4:55 PM PST

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond Registrar Keith Balmer resigned Wednesday, a week after an investigation showed that he and his office wasted thousands of dollars, violated city policies and abused its authority.

The City’s Electoral Board unanimously voted to accept his resignation. It goes into effect on Dec. 31.

Deputy Registrar Jerry Richardson also resigned Wednesday, which goes into effect immediately.

The report from Richmond’s Inspector General James Osuna cited 25 allegations that were substantiated during an investigation, including:

The full report can be viewed here.

The city’s electoral board was set to meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the 7th floor of City Hall.

Blamer was in the room for the start of the meeting, but no one signed up for public comment, so the board members almost immediately went into a closed session. They warned attendees it would take a while.

An hour or so later, Balmer was called back into the meeting room and remained there for most of the time until the end of the closed session. At one point, he did come out of the room and tell reporters they were deliberating whether he still had a job.

The closed session lasted about three hours, and board members say it was mainly about the IG report. They say it gave Balmer a chance to talk about the allegations.

“We felt like the best thing to do was, we gave him the option of resigning. If he didn’t want to resign, we were unanimous in that we would have him removed,” Electoral Board Chair Starlet Stevens said.

If the board had to move forward with firing Balmer, it would then have to go to a circuit court judge as well. Stevens explained that Balmer’s resignation had “probably a lot less red tape.”

“I wanted to stay as a registrar,” Balmer said. “What I said to the board is I don’t want this to play out in courts. I mean, I don’t have time for that. So if the board wants to move in a direction that’s different than the current direction, I would really just resign because I don’t want to deal with courts dragging it out.”

Board members agreed they have confidence in the Inspector General’s office and its report.

“We’ll go to HR and obviously have the job posted,” Stevens said. ”We will do that right away and start with the transition process. Board members will probably be assisting in the office.”

Balmer would not take questions at the end of the Electoral Board’s meeting and invited reporters to the Office of Elections instead.

Balmer explained he did not have the proper training for the job.

“I want the people to know that although mistakes were made, they were, in fact, mistakes, and it was never my intent to not follow City Code,” Balmer said. ”Ultimately, what we’re talking about is just someone who just wasn’t aware of what city codes were, and ultimately, that’s my responsibility, but still, accountability is accountability.”

Balmer did not deny most of the spending the IG report outlines, though he says some of it is taken out of context. He also says he did not learn all the rules about using a city purchasing card.

“The citizens of this city need to have a Registrar at place who is also following the city guidelines, and that is where my office is falling short,” Balmer said.

Balmer says his experience is around elections, not administrative work, which is where he leaned on Deputy Registrar Jerry Richardson, who had been there for 10 years.

“Our elections have been on point, but that’s been my focus. So for me, I’m reliant on the experience of those who were here because I didn’t have that experience. So ultimately, if I had to say anything about this publicly, what I would say is that I always was in the belief that we were doing correctly because that was the guidance that I received from my deputy registrar,” Balmer said.

Balmer denied accusations of drinking on the job and followed up by saying he never drank on site.

He said his team spent hundreds of thousands on a security team due to some internal threats and the fact that it was a Presidential election year.

“We went down this rabbit hole when there was one of my employees was violently assaulted at conference a year and a half ago, and it frightened everybody,” Balmer said.

The IG report says Balmer’s team did not correctly report a harassment case and that his office asked the victim involved to resign, which led to the security team’s hiring.

“That’s one of the things I take issue with because there’s no context. When you provide context, me being worried about the safety of my staff. I feel that if I continue to have this person employed, that my entire staff would be at risk. So, as I stood here before everyone a year and a half ago, I was worried about everybody’s safety,” Balmer said.

When asked about purchasing a firearm with a city card, even when staff were advised not to do so, Balmer says he never gave that authorization.

Balmer says he will post a rebuttal to the IG report on social media. He anticipated that it would be posted within an hour or so earlier in the day, but that did not happen.

He hopes that the city will better prepare the General Registrar than it did him in the past.

“What we’re talking about here is that it should be someone who knows elections but also who has familiarity with administrative policies because it is two functions, and as the registrar, I’m responsible for hundreds of pieces of election-related legislation,” Balmer said. ”But what you’re looking for the next person with this job is that you want someone who actually has an understanding of administrative policy and can be able to provide that information during an interview. So, I think that’s what the next restaurant should be, someone who has a little bit of both.”

Copyright 2024 WWBT. All rights reserved.

Posted

RICHMOND, Va. -- Alison Krauss & Union Station is now scheduled to perform at Richmond's new Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront.

The bluegrass-country singer's August 29, 2025, show is the second performance announced at the still-under-construction venue.

Country music singer Dwight Yoakam is scheduled to perform on June 21, 2025, and is the first concert currently scheduled at the venue.

About Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront

Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront is expected to host around 30 concerts next year.

“We feel like the acoustics are going to be awesome," Matt Rogers, with Live Nation, said about the 7,500-capacity venue during a media tour last month.

There will be about 4,000 lawn seats and 3,500 seats in the bowl.

Though it's located right next to Brown's Island, another music venue, Allianz and Live Nation said they'll be good neighbors.

“I think we’re going to give fans choices," Rogers said. "I think the level of act that plays here probably wouldn’t play Brown’s Island."

According to Allianz and Live Nation, the venue will create over 300 jobs.

When it comes to preserving its home—Richmond's historic Tredegar—those behind the construction said it's been carefully planned.

“I think you’ll see the amphitheater kind of take into that same look and feel, again to complement what’s already here," Rogers said.

Live Nation said lawn seats at Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront could be as low as $20 (before Live National adds its ticket fees).

“I think everybody gets sort of caught up with the Taylor Swifts of the world. At the end of the day, the majority of concerts don’t sell out," Rogers said. "It’s a very affordable option for families and music lovers in the city."

Live Nation said it would work with city partners and abide by Richmond’s curfew around 11 p.m.

Red Light manages music acts like Dave Matthews Band, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, Enrique Iglesias, Dierks Bentley, ODESZA, Chris Stapleton, The Strokes, Lainey Wilson and Phish.

This is a developing story. Let the CBS 6 Newsroom know ifyou're excited about the new venue.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - This winter’s snow forecast is mainly based on the fact that a weak La Niña is developing.

UPDATED 12/12/2024 From the Climate Prediction Center: La Niña conditions are most likely to emerge in November 2024 - January 2025 (59% chance)

During a La Niña event, the water in the Pacific gets colder than normal near South America. This strengthens trade winds and alters worldwide weather patterns.

The biggest change in weather patterns happens in winter. 2 winters ago we had a weak La Niña, and had less than 1″ snow.

Last year was our second virtually snowless winter in a row. It was wet, though, as it was our rainiest December through February period. (Note: Last year was an El Nino year. This information has been corrected from its original publication.)

Weak La Niña winters are bad news for snow fans in Virginia. Not just bad news, but really bad news. One of the biggest Weak La Niña effects happens right here in Central Virginia.

This is the graphic that will blow you away. There have been 9 weak La Nina’s between 1959 to 2024. Eight have produced less than normal snowfall in Central Virginia.

It’s not just the La Niña impact. Our winters have been getting steadily warmer due to climate change.

Including the abnormally snowy 1960s, there was an average of 16.3 inches of snow annually from 1961 to 1990. That number dropped to an average of 11.9 inches per year when the 1960s were no longer included (1971-2000).

On the bar graph above (right-hand side), you can see that the 1990s were the least snowy decade in terms of average annual snowfall in Richmond in the last 100 years with only 7.5 inches on average. The 2000s had almost equally little snow (7.6 inches annually). The 2010s actually brought a slight uptick in snow on an average annual basis (11.7 inches per year).

So our forecast for Winter 2024 calls for less snow than our yearly average of 8.8 inches.

This doesn’t mean there’s no hope for snow this winter — it just takes one or two cold snaps, lined up with the right storm to bring snow.

You can also download the First Alert Weather app for winter weather updates.

You can find the app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

Copyright 2024 WWBT. All rights reserved.