Please support HB 2084. The SCC must ensure other ratepayers (residential, small businesses, and other industry in the state) are not subsidizing energy infrastructure necessary primarily for data center development. These are some of the wealthiest companies in the world and it is unfair and unjust to let the powerful take advantage of a system that was never structured to handle so many high energy consumers.

This bill makes excellent sense. It’s clear that Data Centers have unique power requirements and should be treated as a separate classification. I support this bill and thank Delegate Shin for introducing it.

Comments Document

Delegates, it's unfair for huge data centers to plug into regulated utility monopolies - APCo/Dominion/Old Dominion - and siphon off large portions of the generating capacity. Existing customers have been paying for these facilities over decades. HB2084 provides a means to correct this inequity and prevent further erosion of residents' and businesses decades of investment in existing utility infrastructure. The explosive, unregulated data center industry presents real risks to the public. Imagine new generating capacity and transmission constructed for a gigaWatt data campus which stops operating due to moving to another state or because newer alternative technology makes it obsolescent - for example, according to Science Daily, "Engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have demonstrated a state-of-the-art hardware device that could reduce energy consumption for artificial intelligent (AI) computing applications by a factor of at least 1,000." (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240726113337.htm or see attached PDF) A separate rate class for huge power consumers, like data centers, is necessary and appropriate, because their demand and capacity and energy requirements are different from any other existing customers. they present by engaging utilities to build more infrastructure to serve them Without HB2084, new data center customers are able to shift real costs on to existing customers. Cost shifting is inequitable and unacceptable rate policy. Data centers should pull their own weight. The SCC has the resources to administer the intent of this bill and determine equitable solutions. I strongly support HB2084 and thank Del. Shin for submitting the bill. I ask you to support the bill, too.

I support HB2084. As a Dominion ratepayer, I have grown worried about who will pay for the proposed building spree of power generation to feed the demands of data centers. HB2084 seems to be a reasonable way to address these concerns. I am pleased the subcommittee recommends the bill.