Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
Virginia governor creates an AI task force and moves to restrain data centers
弗吉尼亚州州长成立人工智能工作组，并采取行动限制数据中心发展
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered the state government to take steps that could empower local communities to have a larger say in data center development and slow down approvals in a state that is already home to the data center capital of the world. 弗吉尼亚州州长阿比盖尔·斯潘伯格（Abigail Spanberger）下令州政府采取措施，赋予当地社区在数据中心开发方面更大的话语权，并放缓审批流程。该州目前已是全球数据中心之都。
Executive Order 22 bans executive branch officials from signing nondisclosure agreements for data center projects, requires expedited noise regulations, and requires a review of backup-generation operations used by data centers, among other requirements. The order also establishes an AI task force responsible for evaluating how the state government can address risks to Virginians like workforce displacement and data privacy issues, and determining how existing law can be applied to AI harms. 第22号行政命令禁止行政部门官员签署有关数据中心项目的保密协议，要求加快制定噪音监管法规，并对数据中心使用的备用发电设施进行审查，同时还包含其他多项要求。该命令还成立了一个人工智能工作组，负责评估州政府如何应对劳动力流失和数据隐私等对弗吉尼亚州民众构成的风险，并确定如何将现有法律应用于人工智能带来的危害。
The order represents the latest signal that states are taking data center and AI policy into their own hands as Congress and President Donald Trump have been slow or resistant to sweeping changes. Also on Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order convening experts to tackle AI safety issues, and earlier, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have both taken executive action to rein in rapid data center development. 该命令释放出最新信号：由于国会和唐纳德·特朗普总统在推动全面变革方面进展缓慢或持抵触态度，各州正开始自行掌控数据中心和人工智能政策。同样在周五，加利福尼亚州州长加文·纽森（Gavin Newsom）发布了一项行政命令，召集专家解决人工智能安全问题；此前，纽约州州长凯西·霍楚尔（Kathy Hochul）和德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特（Greg Abbott）也都采取了行政行动，以遏制数据中心的快速扩张。
In addition to Virginia’s new executive order, Spanberger unveiled a new “Data Center Accountability Framework” for the state, which lays out additional priorities. These include eliminating “by-right approval,” like the kind that existed in Loudoun County for many years allowing developers to build on certain land without additional approvals, removing some state subsidies, establishing environmental guardrails, and safeguarding residents against increased energy prices that are associated with data centers. 除了这项新的行政命令外，斯潘伯格还为该州公布了一项新的“数据中心问责框架”，提出了额外的优先事项。其中包括取消“按权利审批”（by-right approval）制度——即像劳登县多年来实行的那种允许开发商在特定土地上无需额外审批即可建设的模式；取消部分州政府补贴；建立环境保障措施；以及保护居民免受数据中心带来的能源价格上涨影响。
A press release for the actions includes many statements from environmental groups praising Spanberger’s approach, but others reportedly wish she’d gone even further. Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), for example, is a nonprofit that has advocated for a moratorium on new development to deal with existing concerns, and PEC president Chris Miller said in a statement that “It largely addresses standards on new data centers and does not deal with what’s already built and in the pipeline, along with the ongoing impacts piling up in communities now.” 一份关于这些行动的新闻稿包含了许多环保组织对斯潘伯格做法的赞扬，但据报道，也有人希望她能采取更进一步的措施。例如，非营利组织皮埃蒙特环境委员会（PEC）一直主张暂停新开发项目以解决现有问题。该委员会主席克里斯·米勒（Chris Miller）在一份声明中表示：“该框架主要针对新数据中心的标准，并未解决已经建成和正在筹建的项目，也未解决目前在社区中不断累积的持续影响。”