In February, dozens of Electrical Alliance members joined a rally at the Virginia State Capitol to push back on a proposed budget that would eliminate a sales tax exemption for Virginia’s data centers.
The Senate’s proposed budget recommends eliminating it starting in 2027. But union members representing electricians and other trades say the exemption has been central to Virginia’s growth as a hub for the industry. Data center construction has been the single biggest driver of work in the electrical trades over the past decade.
If the exemption is removed, industry could get pushed to other states and take members’ jobs away. It would likely lead to fewer local projects, fewer hours, and less opportunity for members to build careers close to home and close to their families.
As IBEW 80’s Dorian Hargrave put it: “Let’s just keep this incentive in this area so our people don’t have to travel, so we can stay here, take care of our families and raise our children right here in Virginia, where we’re from.”
Data center work reaches well beyond the job site. It creates sustained employment for trades workers and a steady stream of complex, high-skilled projects for our member contractors. This consistent work makes a career in the trades a dependable path. Not just for today’s workforce, but for the generation coming up behind them.
That’s why our members showed up at the Capitol. And it’s why we’ll keep showing up for the industry, and for the people who power it.
