Virginia's Own Study: Cost Shift Minimal Now, Looming for Every Ratepayer
How it leans Minimal now, rising later · State legislative commission (nonpartisan)
What's documented Nonpartisan state legislative oversight commission studying the world's largest data center market; findings cut against easy narratives on both sides.
Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission studied the largest data center market on earth and reached a two-part conclusion that neither side likes to quote in full. Historically, current rates have apportioned costs to the classes that caused them, so the shift to date has been minimal. Going forward, meeting unconstrained demand requires building generation and transmission that would not otherwise exist, and those fixed costs plus tighter supply push prices up for all customers. The honest read is that the problem is mostly ahead of us, not behind us.
- Current rates appropriately allocate costs to the classes responsible, so historical cost shift has been minimal.
- An independent forecast for JLARC found unconstrained Virginia power demand would double within 10 years, driven mainly by data centers.
- New generation and transmission built specifically for that load creates fixed costs utilities must recover from all customers.
- From a nonpartisan Virginia legislative commission, published December 9, 2024.