Lawmakers in at least five other states—Georgia, Maryland, Oklahoma, Vermontand Virginia—also introduced bills this year that would impose various forms of data center development freezes. While efforts in Georgia, Vermont, and Virginia were led by Democrats, bills in Oklahoma and Maryland were largely sponsored by Republicans. These bills mirror several moratoriums that have already been passed locally: As of the end of December, at least 14 states had cities or counties that had stopped permitting and building data centers, Tech Policy Press reported.

There are some signs that the data center industry is beginning to respond to the backlash. Last month, Microsoft, with encouragement from the White House, launched a set of commitments to be a “good neighbor” to the communities where it builds data centers. In response to questions about how the industry is responding to the dead law at the state level, Dan Diorio, the vice president of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, an industry group, told WIRED in a statement that it “recognizes the importance of continued efforts to better educate and inform the public about the industry, through community engagement and stakeholder education that includes our responsible energy industry information, which in part includes responsible information about in the energy sector use.”

Some of the states with moratorium bills have relatively few data centers: Vermont has just two, according to Data Center Map. But Georgia and Virginia are two of the national hubs for data center growth and have found themselves at the center of much of the backlash, both in public reaction to data centers and legislative pushback. Over 60 data center-related fees are available has been suggested in the Virginia legislature this year, according to Data Center Dynamics, an industry news site.

Josh Thomas is a Virginia state delegate who is leading the legislative charge to put limits on the expansion of data centers. During his first legislative session, in 2024, the caucus of self-identified data center “reformers” in the House and Senate was just three politicians. That number grew to eight by 2025, “and now, it’s 12 or 13,” he said, with many more politicians poised to vote on reform bills. His fellow lawmakers, he said, now “understand that we have to negotiate where these things are.”

Last year, a proposal introduced by Thomas that would require data centers to conduct more in-depth environmental, noise, and community impact assessments passed the legislature, but it vetoed by former governor Glenn Youngkin. Newly elected governor Abigail Spenberger, a Democrat who talking about Making data centers “pay their own way” on the campaign trail, it seems more likely to reconsider this year’s version of the law, which has already been done. PAST the House.

“I’m more optimistic that (Spanberger) will sign,” Thomas said.

Thomas, who was not involved in shaping the moratorium in the Virginia House, thinks a moratorium on data centers is more likely to pass in states where the industry has a smaller foothold than in Virginia. Still, he said, “it’s not a bad idea.”