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The third 2026 Policy Masterclass, Dealing with Data Centers: How States Are Addressing Resource Needs of Power Users, brought Southern state policymakers together September 22-24 in Northern Virginia to examine the growing role of data centers in the digital economy and the resources required to support them. With data centers relying on significant amounts of electricity, water, and supporting infrastructure, their continued development presents a range of considerations for state policymakers. The three-day program provided an opportunity to better understand the industry, its infrastructure needs, and the policy frameworks states are using to examine these issues.
The Masterclass began with an overview of the data center industry before turning to the infrastructure and resources connected to development. Participants examined electricity and transmission planning, grid capacity, water resources, cooling technologies, and community infrastructure. Discussions also considered how states track resource consumption, approach efficiency, and develop regulatory frameworks as they evaluate data center activity. These sessions gave participants context on the systems that support data center operations and the range of factors involved in planning for future development.
The program also included a site visit to data center facilities in Northern Virginia, allowing participants to see data center operations and infrastructure firsthand. Additional sessions addressed public engagement, transparency and crisis response, state policy frameworks and industry perspectives. Bringing together perspectives from industry, government and utilities, the Masterclass gave participants an opportunity to examine the infrastructure and resource considerations associated with data center development. It was the third and final program in the 2026 Policy Masterclass Series, which provides Southern state policymakers and staff with opportunities to examine complex policy topics through expert perspectives, state and regional examples, site visits, and peer exchange.
Participants
- Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse, West Virginia
- Representative Denise Ennett, Arkansas
- Representative Jeremy Faison, Tennessee
- Senator Hillman Frazier, Mississippi
- Delegate Marty Gearheart, West Virginia
- Representative Vanessa Grossl, Kentucky
- Delegate Karen Fleming Hamilton, Virginia
- Delegate Anitra Hamilton, West Virginia
- Delegate Scot Heckert, West Virginia
- Mark Hendrick, director of government affairs, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
- Jasper Hendricks III, executive legal assistant, Tennessee
- Representative Tangie Herring, Georgia
- Senator Keturah Herron, Kentucky
- Delegate Rick Hillenbrand, West Virginia
- Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra, Virginia
- Representative Jack Ladyman, Arkansas
- Representative Donnie Loftis, North Carolina
- Representative Carolyn Logan, North Carolina
- Representative Annie McDaniel, South Carolina
- Senator Robby Mills, Kentucky
- Delegate Erica Moore, West Virginia
- Representative Jeff Myers, Missouri
- Delegate David Reid, Virginia
- Senator Kannan Srinivasan, Virginia
- Senator Daniel Verdin, South Carolina
- Representative Christopher Warwick, Missouri
Presentations
- CSG Data Center Masterclass – Utility Regulation, Load Growth, and Electricity Planning
- Data Centers – Powering the Internet and Our Modern Economy
- Getting Ahead of the Grid Lessons in Data Center Planning and Policy
- Planning for Growth – Electricity, Transmission, and Grid Capacity
- The Energy-Water Nexus of Data Centers