Microsoft ordered nearly $2.5M fine for air pollution from Northern Virginia data center

Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality fined Microsoft nearly $2.5 million for violating air pollution limits at its Leesburg data center during a power outage in 2025, specifically due to emissions from backup generators. The penalty is the largest civil fine issued by the agency and is pending public comment before finalization.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Deep Tech: Telecom & Connectivity, and 4 sources have reported it between 15 Sep 2026 and 16 Sep 2026.