FILE - Cars drive past data centers on July 16, 2023, in Ashburn, Va.
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Virginia officials have released a scientific study on the state's groundwater supply and the possible impact of data centers after months of delays and mounting criticism. State legislators ordered the study two years ago amid growing concerns about the proliferation of data centers that require a lot of resources. Virginia has more of them than anywhere in the world. The state initially refused to released the report to The Associated Press but reversed course late Thursday. The study focused on groundwater in eastern Virginia. It said the eastern region's largest aquifer is likely to decline in the near future, but it did not blame the data centers.