Senate agrees to budget conference report, adds data‑center electricity charge and boosts education and health funding
The Virginia Senate agreed to the House Bill 30 conference report June 22, approving a biennial budget that imposes an electricity consumption charge on large data centers (staff estimated it would produce up to $600 million a year and $1.2 billion over the biennium), raises K‑12 funding and teacher pay, expands Medicaid and marketplace subsidies, and sets DEQ timelines for water and noise rules for data centers.
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The Senate met June 22 in Richmond and, after a presentation from Senate Finance and Appropriations staff and floor debate, agreed to the conference report on House Bill 30, the biennial budget package. The conference report includes a new electricity consumption charge on data centers designed to produce up to $600 million per year (staff explained the charge and a pro‑rata refund mechanism), targeted increases to K‑12 and higher education funding, teacher and state‑employee pay supplements, and several health and housing investments.
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