I am heartbroken as I watch my community and my home state of Virginia be overrun by greedy, corrupt corporations, deliberately building data centers at a rapid rate at the cost of our environment, health, and safety of our communities. These corporations have little regard for the long-term wellbeing of our planet, human health or safety, and are primarily focused on increasing their profits, even if it means using the last resource and killing people in the process. We all deserve clean air, clean water, safe food, and a safe place to live.

Currently, data centers are sprouting up at an alarming rate across Virginia, particularly in areas in Northern Virginia. Virginia is known as Data Center Alley due to the high concentration of these data center facilities. While these data centers promise economic benefits and technological advancements, they come with significant environmental downsides, such as high energy consumption, increased water usage, and a larger carbon footprint. For example, data centers in Loudoun County alone consume thousands of megawatts of electricity and millions of gallons of water annually, which places a significant burden on local resources and ecosystems.

The Virginia state government has the ability and responsibility to take action in protecting our communities. We urgently need a moratorium on the development of new data centers until comprehensive studies are conducted to understand their environmental impact and regulations are put in place to make them safer and sustainable in the long-term. Implementing  a data centers moratorium will provide the necessary time to assess these impacts and develop strategies to mitigate them.

As Virginians, it is our responsibility to hold these corporations accountable and demand that our elected officials represent the interests of their constituents above profits and corporations - every time. By creating a moratorium, we can push for stronger regulations that require data centers to use renewable energy sources, implement efficient cooling systems, and adhere to strict wastewater management practices.

Join me in this fight to safeguard our communities for future generations in Virginia. Please sign and share this petition to demand the Virginia state government to pass a moratorium on new data centers and work towards sustainable and safe solutions that protect our communities and planets for the years to come.