FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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Amy Bacigalupo, Communications Manager
April 2, 2026
New Poll Finds Strong Majority of Virginians Oppose Data Center Tax Breaks, Support Ending Special Exemptions
Richmond, Va. – As Virginia lawmakers continue critical state budget negotiations, a new statewide poll conducted by Hart Research on behalf of Clean Virginia shows a decisive, bipartisan majority of voters oppose tax breaks for data centers and want lawmakers to end them.
The survey of 600 likely voters finds that 65% of Virginians oppose the current data center tax exemption with just 11% in favor. Support for reform is even stronger: More than two-thirds (67%) of Virginians support ending these tax breaks altogether, signaling broad agreement across party lines.
“Virginians are sending a clear and urgent message that data centers need to pay their fair share,” said Brennan Gilmore, executive director of Clean Virginia. “At a time when families are facing rising energy bills and cost-of-living pressures, voters overwhelmingly reject the idea that one of the most profitable industries in the world should continue receiving special tax treatment.”
The political implications are equally clear, especially when voters understand what’s at stake. After learning that repealing the exemption could generate $1.9 billion for priorities like tax relief, teacher pay, and healthcare access, nearly half of Virginians (46%) said they would be more likely to support a candidate who favors ending tax breaks for the data center industry. Only 14% said they’d be less likely, signaling potential electoral consequences for lawmakers who fail to act.
“With budget negotiations underway, these findings should serve as a wake-up call,” Gilmore said. “Lawmakers can choose to stand with Virginia families who are demanding fairness and affordability, or they can continue handing out billions in tax breaks to powerful, wealthy corporations that could otherwise help fund critical resources for Virginia families.”
Virginia created the data center tax exemption in 2008 to incentivize companies to locate in the Commonwealth, with an initial cost expected to be just $1.25 million annually. Since then, the industry has rapidly expanded and so has the size of the tax break. Today, it is the largest corporate tax exemption in the state, costing an estimated $1.9 billion annually in forgone revenue, a figure that will continue to rise absent intervention. The Virginia State Senate has proposed ending the tax break in its budget, while the House of Delegates has refused to adopt that position.
The General Assembly will reconvene for a special session on April 23, 2026, to vote on the final budget.
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