Microsoft Reviews 24/7 Clean-Energy Target for Virginia Data Centers While Maintaining Carbon-Negative Goal

Microsoft is considering ending its 24/7 clean-energy goal that aims to meet 100 percent of its energy consumption with zero-carbon electricity by 2030. The review comes as the company expands data-center capacity in Virginia, the state with the largest concentration of such facilities in the United States.

Microsoft already operates more than 20 data-center buildings in Mecklenburg County and additional sites in Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax counties.

Plans for further facilities in Mecklenburg and Prince William counties would raise the company’s statewide employee count to 2,042 by the end of 2026. Virginia emitted 81 million metric tons of carbon in 2024, down from 85 million metric tons in 2020 when the state passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

By 2030 the state is projected to rank 30th nationally in power-generation-related emissions at about 57 million metric tons.

Research published in Environmental Letters found that data-center demand could cause a 28 percent increase in power-sector carbon emissions compared with a scenario without data-center growth. Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission reported in 2024 that meeting projected electricity demand will be very difficult with or without the requirements of the Clean Economy Act.

Last fall Microsoft supported new natural-gas proposals from Dominion Energy.

In 2023, 36 percent of Dominion’s electricity came from natural gas. Dominion has called for six gigawatts of new natural-gas generation and its latest Integrated Resource Plan includes eight gigawatts of new natural-gas capacity. Dominion’s record peak demand last winter reached 25 gigawatts.