Media Contact
Donna Brutkoski
612-491-8334
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2026
Work group will tackle recommendations for using highway rights-of-way to build projects
Bills signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia — supported by NextGen Highways’ Virginia coalition — will kick off a process of study and recommendations for co-locating new electric transmission along the Commonwealth’s highways.
HB 889 and SB 497, passed with bipartisan support, direct the state Department of Transportation to convene the work group, which will develop recommendations for amending regulations and permitting processes for siting in existing state highway rights-of-way.
Virginia, home to the world’s largest hub of data centers, is at the epicenter of growing concerns about the cost of energy to households and businesses. Gov. Spanberger’s administration has focused on reining in the rising cost of living — including electric bills — in the Commonwealth, and these bills and the rest of the slate of legislation signed March 31 are aimed at improving affordability in healthcare, housing, and energy.
“No Virginian should ever have to choose between seeing their doctor, paying their rent or mortgage, or keeping their lights on,” she said in a release announcing the signings. “I am signing this legislation to respond to the real, pressing concerns I have heard from Virginia families across the commonwealth about high costs.”
NextGen Highways officially launched its Virginia coalition in December 2025, aiming to move forward co-location policy that would allow the Commonwealth to benefit from a streamlined permitting process and reasonable fees for use of existing rights-of-way.
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About NextGen Highways
NextGen Highways is a collaborative initiative promoting the use of highways and other existing rights-of-way as infrastructure corridors where electric and communications infrastructure are strategically and safely co-located in existing highway rights-of-way. Learn more at nextgenhighways.org.