Virginia Budget Deal: Virginia lawmakers approved a two-year budget that ends the risk of a shutdown and settles the long fight over data center taxes, including a new electricity consumption fee of $0.011 per kilowatt-hour starting July 1, 2026, expected to raise up to $600 million annually for the general fund while keeping existing sales tax exemptions. Cannabis Market: The same budget package clears the way for a legal, regulated adult-use retail cannabis market, with sales targeted for July 1, 2027. Transit Consolidation Talk: Lawmakers also directed a study on potentially merging Northern Virginia transit agencies to cut costs and reduce fragmentation, with rider impacts on fares, reliability and accessibility on the table. Power Grid Pressure: At the federal level, FERC ordered grid operators to justify or fix tariffs for large-load customers like data centers, aiming to prevent infrastructure costs from landing on residential ratepayers. Data Center Climate Risk: A new report says nearly 80% of global data centers face extreme climate hazards such as flooding, wildfires and extreme winds, raising operational and insurance costs. Local Business Watch: Old Dominion Power’s rate hike request is headed to a public hearing, with regulators weighing a projected 23% average monthly increase for residential customers.