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Virginia DEQ Fines Microsoft Leesburg Data Center Nearly $2.5M

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 3:26 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality fined Microsoft’s Leesburg data center nearly $2.5 million for emissions violations.
In June 2025 the center ran 62 generators for seven days after a substation failure.
The generators exceeded limits for CO, VOC, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions.
Microsoft agreed to invest $2.4 million in a Loudoun County air-quality monitoring project.
Loudoun County Board voted 7-1 to pause new data-center approvals for one year, effective Sept. 15.

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Story summary

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality fined Microsoft’s Leesburg data center nearly $2.5 million for emissions violations.
In June 2025 the center ran 62 generators for seven days after a substation failure.
The generators exceeded limits for CO, VOC, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions.
Microsoft agreed to invest $2.4 million in a Loudoun County air-quality monitoring project.
Loudoun County Board voted 7-1 to pause new data-center approvals for one year, effective Sept. 15.