New Virginia Law Requires Independent Audit of Dominion Energy as Data Centers Stress Grid

By Billy Briefman · April 30, 2026 · 2 min read read

New State Law Mandates Review of Dominion’s Load Forecasting as Data Centers Raise Concerns Originally reported by Virginia Mercury. Virginia Mercury Gov. Abigail Spanberger enacted a law...

New State Law Mandates Review of Dominion’s Load Forecasting as Data Centers Raise Concerns

Originally reported by Virginia Mercury. Virginia Mercury

Gov. Abigail Spanberger enacted a law requiring an independent audit of Dominion Energy’s electricity demand forecasts as data center expansion pressures the VA power grid, according to the Virginia Mercury.

The legislation addresses how the utility calculates future energy needs. According to the Virginia Mercury, the measure provides transparency into the data center industry’s impact on long-term energy planning and consumer costs.

Scrutinizing Data Center Demand

The law mandates a formal review of the load forecasting methods Dominion Energy uses to justify new infrastructure projects. Data centers drive much of the projected increase in power consumption across the Commonwealth. State regulators will now oversee a process to verify if these projections accurately reflect actual needs.

According to the Virginia Mercury, critics of the current system argue that overestimating demand could lead to unnecessary construction of power plants and transmission lines, which ratepayers fund. The independent review process will evaluate the technical assumptions the utility uses when it files Integrated Resource Plans with the State Corporation Commission.

Impact on Utility Planning

Dominion Energy must now provide more detailed data to support claims about future energy usage. This shift in oversight follows years of debate over the environmental and financial costs of meeting the data center industry's energy appetite. According to the Virginia Mercury, the new requirements seek to balance industrial growth with protections for residential and small business customers.

This article is based on reporting originally published by Virginia Mercury. Channel RVA provides this coverage with additional local context for the Richmond community.