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Local advocates press council to back stricter data‑center rules and transparency
Summary
Multiple speakers urged Roanoke's legislative committee to prioritize data-center regulation, including moratoria, water-use disclosure, public hearings on land deals, and decommissioning requirements, citing bills from the last General Assembly session.
At the legislative committee public hearing, speakers representing regional transparency groups and technical experts urged the city to prioritize data‑center regulation and related state-code changes in the 2027 legislative agenda.
Ben Vershore, a co‑founder of the Southwestern Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance, cited prior bills including HB1515 (a proposed moratorium), HB496 (water-usage disclosure), and SB334 (public hearings for disposal of public land to build large industrial facilities) and said jurisdictions need time and transparency to consider whether to host data centers. "There are currently no mandates for end of life processes for data centers once they shut down," Vershore said, arguing for bonding or decommissioning requirements and greater public bidding processes rather than one-off deals.
Catherine Lee, a former large-scale energy developer, urged council to consider recent state code sections on siting and to anticipate litigation risk when denying permits. Speakers recommended treating data centers more like utilities with ongoing reporting obligations and suggested state amendments to require developer disclosures on water usage and community impacts.
