It looks like all the new data centers built in Virginia are taking a toll on the rate payers.
They are still likely paying less than the people in my state, and they get the benefit of job creation.
Quote:John Vithoulkas, the county manager in Virginia's Henrico County, is asking county employees to cut back on power usage as electricity rates soar 25% across Virginia, the state with by far the most data centers.
In a June 26 email sent out to all county employees and obtained by the Henrico Citizen, Vithoulkas asked employees to adjust individual habits as electricity rates increased by 25% and noted that prices were likely to shoot up even higher.
"Beginning July 1st, the rate we pay for electricity used in all Henrico County government and school facilities will increase dramatically — by 25%, increasing costs by an estimated $5 million next fiscal year. We anticipate more rate increases for electricity in the years ahead," Vithoulkas wrote.
While Vithoulkas did not specifically cite Virginia's explosion of data center construction in recent years as a factor in energy increases, JLARC's 2023 data center assessment concluded that "the data center industry boom in Virginia has substantially driven up energy demand in the state," adding that "data centers’ increased energy demand will likely increase system costs for all customers, including non-data center customers."
They are still likely paying less than the people in my state, and they get the benefit of job creation.
