AGP Executive Report

Workforce & business climate: Virginia’s Talent Accelerator Program was ranked No. 1 nationally for workforce training in Area Development’s 2026 “Top States for Doing Business,” with the program credited for more than 22,000 announced jobs since 2019. Transportation & construction: VDOT set an I-81 South lane closure near Staunton Tuesday night into Wednesday morning for concrete work tied to the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program, with widening milestones stretching into 2032. Energy & public costs: A nonpartisan think tank says federal policy shifts since Trump returned to office could raise household energy bills in Virginia by about $9,000 through 2040, driven by canceled clean projects and higher demand. Data centers & local impact: Virginia’s executive order bars large data-center projects (25+ MW peak demand) from receiving state assistance via expedited permitting, as scrutiny grows over power, water, noise, emissions, and community effects. Agriculture & land: USDA reports Virginia farmland values rose to an average $6,300 per acre in 2026, up 3.3%, with cropland and pasture also climbing. Safety & utilities: Virginia fire officials urged safe lithium-ion charging practices, and Dominion reported a Newport News shipyard outage tied to salt buildup on electrical equipment. Community & culture: The Executive Mansion marked October Virginia Pumpkin Month with pumpkins from Wytheville’s Richdale Farm, highlighting ongoing pressure from higher fuel costs on growers.

Grid & Data Centers: PJM, which runs the grid serving Virginia’s Data Center Alley, suspended a planned “backstop” power auction to plug a 6.8 GW supply gap—one day after FERC pushed it back—leaving a key power timeline “yet to be determined,” underscoring how AI buildouts are colliding with grid limits. Virginia Energy Policy: Gov. Abigail Spanberger rolled out Virginia’s 2026 energy plan aimed at affordability, reliability, and meeting rising demand tied to data centers and the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Local Governance & Data Centers: A Virginia land-use shift is highlighted as Prince William County moved from by-right approvals to case-by-case, public review for data centers—raising the stakes for other counties watching how hearings, timing, and community pressure shape outcomes. Workforce & Aviation: Shenandoah University launched Virginia’s first air traffic control certificate program, designed as a fast-track workforce pipeline with an FAA-approved evaluation and potential job offers soon after. Public Health: Frozen berry recalls expanded again over possible E. coli contamination, including additional Trader Joe’s and Walmart Great Value lots sold in Virginia. Business Moves: The Ad Council named Jenny Darling CFO and COO, bringing finance and tech leadership after Axios growth and acquisition.

Data Center Politics: Virginia’s data-center boom is colliding with election math as new race ratings and internal polling suggest three GOP-held House seats are suddenly more competitive, with Democrats targeting additional districts as voters weigh electricity and local control. Energy Policy: Gov. Abigail Spanberger rolled out a long-range Virginia energy plan aimed at meeting rising demand while advancing clean-energy goals under the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Local Governance & Water: At a Richmond-area water workgroup, the Virginia Department of Health praised “extraordinary” improvements at the city’s treatment facility and said state funds won’t replace local spending. Construction Innovation: Richmond Habitat for Humanity showcased mobile 3D-printed wall tech for an affordable housing project in Henrico, supported by Virginia Housing and university partners. Workforce & Aviation: Shenandoah University launched Virginia’s first air traffic control certificate program, designed to feed an FAA-approved pathway into jobs. Public Health: Trader Joe’s expanded a frozen-berry E. coli recall affecting lots sold in Virginia and 25 other states. AI & Privacy: Healthcare privacy leaders say AI is speeding up monitoring and investigations, but adds new governance risks.

Advanced Manufacturing in Hampton Roads: Wilson Pipe & Fabrication plans a $3.5M Norfolk expansion, adding 15 advanced manufacturing jobs (including apprenticeships) to support ship repair, shipbuilding, and energy infrastructure demand. Power Reliability in Hampton Roads: Dominion Energy reported about 20,000 customers without power in Norfolk and across Hampton Roads after salt from last weekend’s nor’easter was reactivated by rain, with crews replacing damaged equipment. Data Center Pressure in Virginia: A Virginia-focused editorial argues Gov. Spanberger’s data center framework could help balance growth with resource stewardship and cost fairness. Nursing Home Oversight: Virginia’s new sanctions guidance for repeat nursing home deficiencies took effect Sept. 28, but keeps enforcement discretionary rather than automatic. Agriculture & Weather: Virginia wine growers are navigating late-spring frost and summer drought, with Spanberger highlighting federal disaster assistance for more than 100 localities. Local Infrastructure: Virginia Beach residents celebrated completion of a long-planned Winston-Salem Avenue project in Shadowlawn, improving sidewalks, stormwater drainage, and pedestrian access.

Power & Weather: Dominion says about 20,000 customers in Norfolk and Hampton Roads are without electricity after salt from last weekend’s nor’easter was reactivated by rain, damaging equipment and prompting repairs and equipment swaps. Energy Reliability: Coverage also flags grid reliability and rising demand as utilities manage load pressures. Data Centers & Grid Stress: Amazon and other players keep pushing AI infrastructure, while residents and regulators raise alarms about electricity and water impacts; Amazon pledged $1B for community projects around data centers, even as opposition grows. Virginia Policy & Politics: Virginia’s energy-cost debate continues, with state leaders weighing data-center accountability and broader energy plans amid public scrutiny. Workforce & Local Growth: A new scholarship fund will support a Virginia Tech engineering student, and Virginia business updates include leadership changes and expansion efforts. Food & Safety: USDA recalled imported ready-to-eat chicken stew shipped to Virginia due to missed reinspection.

Data Centers & AI Power Crunch: Amazon says it will invest $1B over five years in communities hosting U.S. data centers, even as polls show most Americans oppose new AI facilities and utilities struggle with soaring demand. Virginia Energy Policy: Gov. Spanberger’s Virginia energy plan targets rising power needs and affordability, while regulators weigh the Dominion-NextEra $67B merger with public comment and hearings set across the state. Local Industry & Jobs: Northrop Grumman’s Waynesboro plant cleared a Virginia DEQ operating air permit, moving it toward production of radars and electronic warfare gear. Workforce & Education: Spanberger recognized Virginia’s Top Employers for Interns through InternshipsVA, highlighting paid internship pipelines for students. Agriculture & Food Supply: Chesapeake Bay menhaden fishery workers are caught in a looming debate over potential catch cuts that could affect jobs at Ocean Harvesters/Omega Protein. Community Services: Shenandoah County Public Schools will keep sponsoring USDA afterschool meals at multiple sites. Business Climate: A national report ranks Virginia among the cleanest-water college towns, with Blacksburg earning top marks in a lead/forever-chemical survey.

Data Centers & Energy Policy: Amazon pledged $1B+ over five years for communities hosting its data centers, promising education, energy-efficiency upgrades, and annual reporting on electricity and water use—while pushing back on local opposition and “myths” about costs and impacts. State Energy Planning: Gov. Spanberger rolled out Virginia’s 2026 energy plan as power demand is expected to spike, with lawmakers and utilities debating affordability and reliability as the AI buildout accelerates. Local Government & Infrastructure: Hopewell filed a $40M lawsuit against AdvanSix, WestRock and Ashland over alleged sewage treatment cost-sharing breaches tied to its struggling water renewal plant. Manufacturing & Jobs: Packaging Corp. of America plans to close its Middletown plant, warning of layoffs affecting about 91 workers. AI Governance: A new business-focused look at AI governance highlights the patchwork of state rules and compliance exposure as companies deploy AI. Community & Education: Prince William County cut the ribbon on a new Occoquan Elementary School, touting a net-zero design with geothermal HVAC and solar power.

Energy Policy: Gov. Abigail Spanberger rolled out Virginia’s 2026 Energy Plan, aiming for reliable, affordable power and a net-zero power sector by 2050, while Sen. Mark Obenshain calls it too costly for ratepayers. Data Centers & Costs: A new wave of scrutiny is hitting the data-center boom—regulators approved Dominion fuel-cost financing, and coverage highlights how federal and state policy shifts could push household energy bills higher, with Virginia named among the hardest-hit states. Grid & Permitting Pressure: The state is also moving to expand power supply and transmission, including steps tied to data-center transmission costs, as local opposition and infrastructure constraints keep showing up. Defense Tech: Pentagon plans for an “Autonomous Warfare Command” (AutoWarCom) are taking shape, with Quantico in the spotlight and Virginia tied to the rollout. Local Business: Dessert39 is expanding in the U.S. after strong Annandale sales, and Fraxion’s acquisition of Norfolk’s Yellow Dog Software points to tighter procurement-to-inventory links. Construction & Infrastructure: VDOT is preparing major Route 460 changes in Bonsack, and I-81 widening work brings weekend lane closures near Strasburg.

Aviation Workforce: Shenandoah University launched Virginia’s first air traffic control undergraduate certificate, a two-year pathway that can fast-track students toward an FAA-approved evaluation and jobs. Energy Policy: Gov. Abigail Spanberger unveiled the 2026 Virginia Energy Plan, pairing thousands of public inputs with energy-system modeling to target reliable, cleaner, affordable power and net-zero by 2050. Grid + AI Demand: The U.S. will invest $5.25B to modernize the national grid for AI data center electricity needs, highlighting transmission bottlenecks and capacity pressure. Data Center Cost Fight: Virginia’s plan also pushes for data centers to shoulder more of the generation, transmission, and distribution costs they create, as Congress debates ratepayer protection. Manufacturing Expansion: LG Electronics will invest about $64M in Isle of Wight County to build chiller manufacturing for data center cooling, creating 164 jobs. Local Infrastructure: Ocean Pines is moving ahead with a ~$260K drainage project using cured-in-place pipe lining to rehabilitate aging stormwater lines with less disruption. Defense Tech: At Quantico, Pentagon leaders announced “Project Meridian,” a 120-day study on future warfare co-led by Elon Musk and others, signaling faster AI/drone development.

Defense & Drones: At Marine Corps Base Quantico, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command and pushed further cuts to senior ranks, while also naming Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich to co-lead Project Meridian on future battlefield tech. Virginia Manufacturing & Data Centers: LG Electronics will invest $110M to build a chiller plant in Windsor, Virginia, targeting AI data-center cooling demand, with production planned for early 2027. Fusion Supply Chain: Commonwealth Fusion Systems placed a record high-temperature superconducting tape order with Japan’s Fujikura to support ARC fusion magnets, with the first grid-scale facility tied to Chesterfield County, Virginia. Local Public Health: Chatham issued a boil-water advisory after a water main break affected several schools. Energy Resilience: A George Mason University study warns a major solar storm could trigger a multi-state “blackout arc” affecting millions, including parts of Virginia. Environment & Fisheries: Talbot Green Hands urged tighter limits on the Atlantic menhaden fishery near the Chesapeake Bay mouth. Arts & Community: Lyons artists Coco Gordon and Virginia Schultz released the boxed book “SnaCkS IN SpAcE,” pairing manipulated imagery with poetry.

Defense & Shipbuilding: USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) has arrived at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding to begin a $5.1B refueling and complex overhaul, while the Navy says the future USS John F. Kennedy is ~99% complete and has received preliminary acceptance for at-sea testing. Energy & Environment: Henrico County’s DEQ is set to hold an Oct. 28 hearing on a draft Richmond International Airport stormwater permit tied to PFAS-containing AFFF history, and Lexington is hosting an Oct. 6 open house on Moores Creek Dam decommissioning and reforestation plans. Tech & Business in Virginia: Fraxion (Norfolk-area roots via acquired Yellow Dog Software) expands beyond procure-to-pay into inventory management; Black & White Engineering opens new U.S. offices with Virginia as a base for mission-critical design work. Housing & Construction Innovation: Henrico-area Habitat for Humanity partners are using a Virginia Tech-backed mobile 3D concrete printer to build five affordable homes. Policy & Industry Watch: The Senate blocked the Stop Insider Trading Act after a 53-47 procedural vote, and Virginia’s Medicaid GLP-1 coverage shift is under scrutiny as obesity and diabetes labeling rules diverge.

Fusion Supply Chain: Commonwealth Fusion Systems inked a major deal with Fujikura for 10,000+ km of high-temperature superconducting tape, with the first grid-scale ARC plant tied to Chesterfield County. Defense Manufacturing: Avio USA broke ground on a $500M solid rocket motor facility in Pittsylvania County, targeting 1,500+ jobs and strengthening U.S. propulsion capacity. Data Center Policy Clash: Henrico tightened its approach to new data centers after a zoning shift, leaving most future projects reliant on vested rights; meanwhile, Spanberger pushed Virginia’s first director of outdoor recreation and continued data-center accountability moves. Local Government Pressure: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard leadership updates and Virginia-area Navy mishap recoveries kept defense readiness in focus. Trade Enforcement: CBP seized counterfeit sinks and unsafe rugs in Norfolk, underscoring ongoing import scrutiny. Energy Watch: GasBuddy reported scattered low-price points across Virginia counties and cities, with diesel and E15 pricing still volatile. Workforce & AI Politics: A Staunton town hall put AI and job impacts front and center as candidates frame the next labor fight.

Food Security & Community Aid: A Virginia produce giveaway hit a record scale, handing out 11,000 pounds of fresh food to more than 100 people in the Woodstock/New Market area, with local churches and farms partnering to keep the effort going. Immigration Enforcement & Public Safety: ICE placed a detainer tied to a Loudoun fentanyl case, charging a man with distributing fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school under a 287(g) partnership. Industrial & Environmental Risk: Two years after Georgia’s BioLab fire, newly uncovered records describe a wider toxic plume and renewed pressure for medical monitoring and accountability. Workplace Safety Data: A GAO report says child labor death records are missing key details in more than half of cases, leaving major gaps in how incidents are tracked. Virginia Infrastructure: VDOT is set to begin long-term overnight I-64 lane closures in Hampton Roads as Express Lanes construction advances. Healthcare Policy: ACA open enrollment for 2027 is expected to bring higher premiums, insurer exits, and subsidy changes. Data Centers & Power Costs: Virginia’s new data center policy and ongoing local debates keep spotlighting electricity, water, and community impacts.

NATO Defense Tech: Team CATALYST, led by By Light, advanced to Sprint 3 of NATO’s Next Generation Modelling and Simulation program, aiming to strengthen alliance interoperability through a persistent synthetic environment. Data Centers & Local Governance: A Loudoun County open house kicked off community input on “Data Center Standards and Locations Phase 2,” as residents press on power, water, noise, and tax impacts. Policy & Community Impact: In Greene County, a public hearing is set for Oct. 13 on a special use permit for Grange Commons to run a church and K–8 private school. Education Costs & Outcomes: UMD tuition and fees rose for 2026-27, while a separate school-grading dispute in Rockingham County highlights how grading rules can disrupt student confidence and participation. College Sports Regulation: The Senate moved toward passage of the Protect College Sports Act, setting new limits on transfers and compensation rules—now headed to the House. Trade & Consumer Safety: CBP seized counterfeit and unsafe goods in Norfolk, including fraudulently imported apparel and rugs. Food Insecurity: Feeding Southwest Virginia reports 42% of households are food insecure, with demand rising amid higher food costs. Energy Prices: GasBuddy data showed Virginia fuel prices staying volatile, with multiple counties reporting lowest midgrade and diesel prices for the week ending Sept. 19.

Utility & Energy Regulation: Arlington and Alexandria say they’ll jointly intervene in the Dominion Energy–NextEra merger, aiming to protect Virginia customers’ rates and service as the State Corporation Commission reviews the $67B deal. Higher Ed & Construction: JMU released new documents for its Bridgeforth Stadium expansion and broader campus master plan, including a push for 3,000 additional student housing beds by fall 2029. Local Housing Policy: Hillsville adopted a 1,200-square-foot minimum heated living area requirement for new single-family homes, tying the rule to boosting town income and attracting businesses. Data Centers & Public Scrutiny: A proposed “No Secrets for Data Centers Act” would void NDAs that block officials from discussing data center projects with the public, targeting secrecy around AI infrastructure. Workforce & Tech in Virginia: Virginia’s identity and access management modernization is expanding single sign-on and multifactor authentication across state agencies. Health & Safety: A new regional nonprofit campaign, People vs. Radon, urges Virginia, D.C., and Maryland residents to test homes for radon, citing it as a leading lung cancer cause among nonsmokers. Transportation: VDOT scheduled an overnight up-to-four-hour I-64 east closure in Hampton for paving tied to the Hampton Roads Express Lanes project.

Data Center Governance: Orange Town Council delayed its data center policy debate after residents pressed for clear limits, water focus, and public accountability—plus concerns about nondisclosure agreements and who gets to shape rules. State Energy Policy: Virginia’s push for a Data Center Accountability Framework is drawing fire over how it would limit on-site gas generation, as utilities and lawmakers argue about reliability and affordability. Agriculture & Wine: VDACS says Virginia wineries and vineyards received fruit loss waivers after spring frost and freeze damage, allowing more grapes from non-owned/leased vineyards while recovery continues. Manufacturing & Biopharma: Eli Lilly broke ground on a $6.5B Houston facility to expand domestic production of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients, including its GLP-1 small-molecule Foundayo. Quantum & Research: Leaders gathered at UMD’s Quantum World Congress to spotlight commercialization pathways for quantum tech, with Virginia officials and global industry at the table. Local Fuel Watch: GasBuddy price checks show uneven week-ending Sept. 19 costs across Virginia—E15 hit lows like $3.67 in Frederick County, while diesel lows included $5.79 in Lynchburg.