Microsoft Fined $2.5 Million Over Leesburg Data Center Emissions

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has fined Microsoft $2.5 million for exceeding emissions limits at its Leesburg data center.

The facility, located at 19515 Compass Creek Parkway, emitted 102 tons of nitrogen oxides, 11.599 tons of volatile organic compounds, and 5.158 tons of particulate matter from October 4, 2024, to October 3, 2025.

This is the largest civil penalty ever assessed by the DEQ against a data center.

The facility was forced to use 62 generators for seven days in summer 2025 due to a failure at Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative's Cochran Mill electrical substation on Cochran Mill Road.