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Kannan Srinivasan named 2026 VA Sierra Club Legislative Leader
The award comes as Virginia lawmakers face growing scrutiny over data center water use and its impact on the state’s water resources.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 14, Aug 2026
- 18:26 EDT
- 26
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Kannan Srinivasan / Courtesy photo
Virginia state senator Kannan Srinivasan was named a 2026 Legislative Leader Award winner by the Virginia Sierra Club.
The Democrat representing Loudoun County was recognized for his work on SB553, which requires greater transparency around water used by data centers. The law separately tracks potable and reclaimed water supplied to qualifying data centers and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Also Read: Kannan Srinivasan elected treasurer of Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus
Highlighting the recognition in a post on X, Kannan said that the bill provides “critical transparency measures” to track data center water use and give planners and the public “real visibility” to protect Virginia’s groundwater.
Proud to be recognized as a @vasierraclub 2026 Legislative Leader Award Winner for our work passing SB553! This bill offers critical transparency measures to track data center water usage and provide planners and the public real visibility to protect Virginia's groundwater. pic.twitter.com/i3dCuR8oKl
— Senator Kannan Srinivasan (@Kannanforva) August 14, 2026
SB553 passed the Senate 25-15 and the House 81-18 before lawmakers reached a final agreement. The Senate approved the conference report 25-14, while the House approved it 74-22. The law has a delayed effective date of Jan. 1, 2027.
Under the law, certain water users that are required to register water-withdrawal data and provide water off-site must report the total volume of potable water and, separately, reclaimed water supplied each month to data centers with air permits issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The law also calls for reporting, where available, water supplied for domestic, commercial and industrial and other purposes.
Srinivasan described SB553 during legislative debate as a transparency measure, saying there was “a lot of opaqueness” around data center water use. He also said better reporting could help demonstrate water-saving innovations and assist the Department of Environmental Quality with water-supply planning, particularly during droughts.
The legislation comes as Virginia's data center industry continues to expand, particularly in Northern Virginia, where the growth of large facilities has prompted concerns about electricity demand, water consumption and environmental impacts.
Srinivasan also sponsored SB619, which sought to require a State Corporation Commission certificate of operation before certain high-load facilities could begin operating. The measure would have allowed the commission to consider factors including potential effects on electricity rates, grid reliability and environmental requirements. It passed the Senate 23-16 but was later recommended for tabling by a House subcommittee and did not become law.
The Virginia Sierra Club also recognized state Sen. Scott Surovell for his work on clean energy and resource-planning measures and Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg for legislation involving clean energy, utility-scale solar and energy storage.
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