Gov. Abigail Spanberger says Virginia's order makes data centers pay the full cost of the transmission they require
Abigail SpanbergerGovernor of Virginia, in a statement reported by the Virginia Mercury
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said the State Corporation Commission's order would make sure data centers pay the full cost of the transmission infrastructure their developments require, and pledged to work with lawmakers so that data centers pay their fair share.
“This order — which is projected to save Virginians hundreds of millions of dollars — makes sure that data centers are paying the full cost of the transmission infrastructure their developments require”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Google have to pay the full cost of shared grid upgrades its data centers trigger?
On January 12, 2026, Google told Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Richard Blumenthal that it pays for all the electricity its data centers use and that it, not local residents, pays for new grid infrastructure required for its growth. On January 22, Warren said that paying an electricity bill is different from fully covering the infrastructure upgrade costs of Google's data centers. An October 2026 report by the three senators said the companies, including Google, commit to paying for infrastructure that serves only their facilities but not the full cost of wider network upgrades. In June 2026, testimony filed for Google in a Virginia utility case recommended letting large customers voluntarily pay the full upfront cost of the substations that serve them. On July 31, Virginia regulators ordered Dominion Energy to develop a policy assigning data centers the cost of the transmission that connects them, and Appalachian Power says revenue from Google's new load in Botetourt County will cover $264 million in upgrades. The dispute is over whether Google should pay the full cost of the shared grid upgrades its data centers trigger, rather than leaving part of that cost with other customers.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Virginia Mercury report, reprinted with permission by WTOP, on the State Corporation Commission's order in Dominion Energy's transmission rider case.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Virginia Mercury reported that the State Corporation Commission had ordered Dominion Energy to develop a policy directly assigning the cost of transmission infrastructure to data centers and other large-load users that connect to its system, and that the governor's administration had weighed in on the case.
After the quotation
The governor pledged to work with state lawmakers in future sessions to ensure that data centers "pay their fair share, adhere to strict environmental standards, and listen to the concerns of local communities."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether Google should pay the full cost of the shared grid upgrades its data centers trigger, rather than leaving part of that cost with other customers. In the Dominion Energy case in which a witness for Google proposed letting large customers fund substations voluntarily, Spanberger welcomes the commission's order because it "makes sure that data centers are paying the full cost of the transmission infrastructure their developments require". That backs charging data centers the full cost of the grid infrastructure they need, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, since she speaks of data centers generally rather than Google; it loses because she endorses full-cost assignment in the proceeding where Google argued for a voluntary option.
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“But data center developers have refused to commit to shouldering the full costs of wider network upgrades incurred due to their data centers. Put another way, the companies commit to paying for infrastructure that solely benefits them, but dispute how much they should pay for shared infrastructure that is paid for by all ratepayers but was only built to accommodate the data center.”Read statement
Appalachian Power says other customers are not expected to pay for the $264 million in grid upgrades for Google's Botetourt data center
Appalachian Power
“In this case, the project adds a large new customer load, which is expected to bring in enough additional revenue to cover the cost of the transmission line and substation upgrades. Because the added revenue is expected to offset those costs, other customers are not expected to pay more because of this work”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Gov. Abigail Spanberger says Virginia's order makes data centers pay the full cost of the transmission they require". First published: 2026-10-11. Last updated: 2026-10-11. https://disputeindex.com/events/5581-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-said-the-state-corporation