Hampton Roads residents and environmental advocates gathered at Town Center in Virginia Beach to call for a statewide moratorium on approvals for new data centers, arguing that Virginia needs stronger environmental and consumer protections before allowing further expansion.

The March for a Moratorium brought together community members and advocacy groups as part of a two-week statewide campaign opposing the rapid growth of large data centers. The gathering also featured a donkey as part of the protest.

Organizers said they want state leaders to temporarily halt approvals while lawmakers develop safeguards addressing electricity costs, water consumption, environmental impacts and local decision-making.

“We are watching an unprecedented expansion of data centers across our commonwealth,” said Melissa Lukeson, a lead community organizer with the Coastal Virginia Coalition. She argued that while technology companies benefit financially, residents face potential consequences, including higher electricity bills, increased demand on the power grid and the loss of land to development.

Catherine Setaro, Hampton Roads field manager with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, said residents are concerned about the effects of data center development on home values, utility costs and quality of life.

Setaro said new facilities should not be approved or built until Virginia establishes laws requiring clean energy practices and environmental standards that protect local communities.

Michelle Ueltschi, a Hampton Roads organizer with CCAN Action Fund, said opposition to data center expansion has drawn interest from a broad range of community members and advocates.

Ueltschi said the turnout reflected a shared desire among residents to slow development and encourage lawmakers to consider its effects on Hampton Roads communities.

Data centers, which house computer servers and related equipment, have become a focus of debate in Virginia as demand for digital services and computing capacity grows. Opponents of additional development have raised concerns about the facilities’ energy and water demands and their potential effects on surrounding neighborhoods.

The campaign’s organizers said a temporary pause would give policymakers time to establish protections for public health, environmental resources, energy affordability and transparency in local development decisions.

The Virginia Beach event highlighted local disputes over data center projects and called on state officials to address those concerns before approving additional facilities.

The march was sponsored by CCAN Action Fund, Save the Dismal, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, the Coastal Virginia Sierra Club, the Coastal Virginia Coalition and the Center for Sustainable Communities.

More information about the statewide campaign and its events is available through the March for a Moratorium campaign page.