Press Center

Please address general press inquiries to Elizabeth Ransom at [email protected] or 540-347-2334 x7029 — or to the media contact listed in a specific press release.

Lush green forested mountain landscape.

Virginia Piedmont Protects 5,552 Acres in 2025

In 2025, landowners and conservation organizations in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s nine-county region conserved over 4,178 acres through conservation easements. The Conservation Fund’s purchase of Oak Hill in Loudoun County and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s …
PEC statement on Prince William Digital Gateway latest legal win

PEC statement on Prince William Digital Gateway latest legal win

The recent ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals against the Prince William Digital Gateway, in favor of the citizen-backed lawsuits attempting to block it, is another example of the growing grassroots power of Virginians …
Solar panels above vegetable beds.

The Piedmont Environmental Council Awarded $11,000 Grant to Bring Agrivoltaics to Low-income Urban Communities

PEC has received an $11,000 grant from the Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute to help launch an initiative to develop agrivoltaics projects for urban and low-income communities. Agrivoltaics combines food production with on-site …
Virginia bluebells along Cedar Run in Fauquier County, Virginia.

The Piedmont Environmental Council to Host Annual Bluebell Walk 

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) will hold its 23rd Annual Bluebell Walk Sunday, March 29 from 1-3 p.m. along the banks of the Cedar Run at Bonny Brook Farm in Catlett, Virginia …
Press Release: General Assembly Budget Conferees Need to Invest in Quality of Life, Not Big Tech

Press Release: General Assembly Budget Conferees Need to Invest in Quality of Life, Not Big Tech

The Piedmont Environmental Council supports eliminating, or substantially limiting the sales tax credit on data center equipment, to increase revenues available to make life more affordable for Virginia’s families.  …
| | Data centers, Dominion, Press Center
Press Release: New Study Finds On-Site Power at Virginia Data Center Could Result in $53 Million–$99 Million in Annual Health Damages

Press Release: New Study Finds On-Site Power at Virginia Data Center Could Result in $53 Million–$99 Million in Annual Health Damages

A new independent analysis finds that emissions from the Vantage Data Center’s permitted on-site power system in Loudoun County could result in $53 million–$99 million per year in health-related damages, driven primarily by premature mortality …
Bicycles standing in front of building in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Piedmont Mobility Alliance Convenes Summit to Advocate for Better Community Access to the Great Outdoors

The Piedmont Mobility Alliance will convene the sixth annual Active Mobility Summit on March 5 and 6 to focus on the economic and social benefits of public access to the great outdoors …
| | Press Center
Data Center Reform is at the Finish Line: Will the General Assembly Get it Done?

Data Center Reform is at the Finish Line: Will the General Assembly Get it Done?

Two important data center reform bills, SB619 and SB339 survived crossover – bringing the General Assembly that much closer to passing real data center reform legislation …
| | Press Center
Piedmont Environmental Council remembers Robert Duvall's advocacy for conservation in the the Virginia Piedmont

Piedmont Environmental Council remembers Robert Duvall’s advocacy for conservation in the the Virginia Piedmont

“Over the years, Mr. Duvall has been outspoken in his support of efforts to protect and conserve the natural resources and beauty of Fauquier County and the broader region …
| | Press Center
General Assembly Leadership Appears Once Again Unwilling to Advance Data Center Reform Legislation that Addresses all of the Issues, Not Just a Few

General Assembly Leadership Appears Once Again Unwilling to Advance Data Center Reform Legislation that Addresses all of the Issues, Not Just a Few

This week marks a critical moment in the General Assembly for data center reform legislation. Despite the introduction of more than 50 bills related to oversight, transparency, ratepayer protections and mitigation, General Assembly leadership appears …
| | Data centers, Press Center