Lawmakers and Activists Challenge Data Center Resource Consumption

Data center expansion has triggered legislative and environmental scrutiny in Virginia and New York over the consumption of critical resources. In Virginia, the Virginia General Assembly passed laws requiring water authorities and developers to disclose usage data after reports indicated these facilities consume at least 2 billion gallons of water annually, with two-thirds drawn from drinking supplies. A 2025 report warns that usage in Northern Virginia could triple by 2035.

Environmental advocates, including those from Earthjustice, argue that reporting mandates are insufficient and have raised alarms over the absence of mandatory testing for PFAS and other toxic chemicals in wastewater discharged into municipal systems.

Simultaneously, Democratic lawmakers in Albany are attempting to block new data center projects, citing the high electricity and water demands of artificial intelligence. However, some statistics remain contested. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance reported that data centers used only 0.2% of New York's water in 2025, while energy researcher Jonathan Koomey suggests that future development projections for these facilities may be overestimated by a factor of three to five.