The Piedmont News is an email digest of top news stories about land use, energy, conservation and environmental issues. We hope you’ll share this with others who might find it interesting, and consider supporting the PEC. Happy Fourth of July!
Photo by Hugh Kenny |
Cows Funny, The Plains |
Submit a Photo
Rappahannock News
(July 30, 2025)
At least 10 states are currently losing $100 million or more in taxes from data centers, and data centers often require politicians to sign non-disclosure agreements during the proposal process, including keeping the name of the technology company involved along with the details of a project secret.
US News & World Report
(July 3, 2025)
The legislation sharply cuts access to a 30% tax credit for solar and wind power projects that had been set to run until 2032 and which developers had relied on.
Research firm Energy Innovation projected the bill would result in a fall of 300 gigawatts of U.S. electricity capacity, as demand soars for the first time in two decades, driven by growth in data centers and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, demand for power from data centers is estimated at upward of 100 GW, according to nonprofit group American Clean Power.
AP News
(July 1, 2025)
A proposal to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade was soundly defeated in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, with the Senate voting 99-1 to strike the AI provision from the legislation after weeks of criticism from both Republican and Democratic governors and state officials.
Canary Media
(July 1, 2025)
The utility’s latest long-range resource plan stops at 2039 without addressing how it will meet the state’s 2045 deadline for achieving 100% carbon-free electricity.
Wired
(July 1, 2025)
President Donald Trump’s budget would kill off tax credits for wind and solar, raising costs for new clean energy projects and blowing up valuable investment in those already in the pipeline.
Virginia Mercury
(June 30, 2025)
Federal agencies and logging groups hail move to lift rule as helpful for wildfire management and economic development, while environmental groups say rule’s end puts 394,000 acres and 545 miles of rivers in Virginia at risk.
The Cool Down
(June 28, 2025)
Data centers are experiencing a construction boom to meet the growing computing needs of society, but as more facilities come online, residential utility bills are skyrocketing due to increased demand and rising infrastructure costs.
Cardinal News
(June 27, 2025)
Heat wave prompts PJM Interconnection, which runs the 13-state (plus District of Columbia) electric grid that Virginia is part of, to issue a “Maximum Generation Alert" 3x this week, exacerbating rising demand from growth of energy-guzzling data centers.
Oil Price
(June 30, 2025)
US top natural gas produce EQT said that more natural gas pipelines are coming in the Appalachia region, to meet growing demand from data centers and coal retirements.
West Virginia Daily News
(June 30, 2025)
The awards help communities reduce stormwater runoff; increase the number of green spaces in our communities; improve the health of local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay; improve human health; create jobs; and reduce energy use.
Prince William Times
(June 26, 2025)
Spotted lanternflies mean trouble for agriculture, forests, home gardens and backyards, and can cause great economic losses to foresters, farmers and vineyards.
29 News
(July 3, 2025)
The ruling leaves Charlottesville without any zoning ordinance on the books, and city leaders say the longer that lasts, the greater the risk to affordable housing.
29 News
(June 30, 2025)
Currently, there are no data centers located or planned in Albemarle County, but officials say they want the public to be ready in case a project is proposed.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(July 28, 2025)
A doe will leave their fawn for upwards of 12-14 hours a day, helping to keep them safe from predators, since mom can outrun them but the babies cannot. Staying quiet and hidden keeps them safe. In most cases, there is no reason to intervene.
Royal Examiner
(June 25, 2025)
Two juvenile American Kestrels were brought to our hospital after getting stuck on sticky paper intended to trap invasive lanternflies.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(June 28, 2025)
Though the Town of Culpeper is actively promoting recycled water use at pending data center developments in its Tech Zone along McDevitt Drive, it’s unclear if the Amazon “secure data center” project well under construction in the Stevensburg area of the county will do the same, or what the water usage plan will entail.
This article mentions PEC's Land Use Representative for Culpeper County, Sarah Parmelee.
Fauquier Times
(July 2, 2025)
The project initially included an offer of $1 million for county parks and trails, $1 million for Remington recreation programs and $500,000 to the nearby Meadows subdivision to mitigate its effects.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(July 1, 2025)
The 33-page complaint was filed in February after the Leesburg Town Council denied the developer’s request to build a data center, 184 affordable housing units and two parks. The developers of Oaklawn are asking the court to overturn the council’s decision or remand the decision to the town council with an instruction to approve it.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(June 30, 2025)
The future of historic downtown Purcellville was the topic of discussion at a meeting attended by over 50 residents and business leaders June 27 at the Purcellville Train Station.
Loudoun Now
(June 30, 2025)
The application would rezone 3.51 acres from Industrial Park to Planned Unit Development to the northeast of Dulles Airport and permit up to 325 multifamily attached units. No housing units are currently in that area, but it is just north of the planned Rivana development.
The Daily Progress
(June 30, 2025)
Not long after elevated E. coli levels closed beaches and bodies of water at Lake of the Woods in Orange County, harmful algal bloom was spotted, prompting more of the same.
InsideNoVa
(July 2, 2025)
Sporting green t-shirts stating "Four Seasons says 'No' to Data Centers," residents of a Dumfries-area retirement community turned out in droves to discuss a proposed data center development near their property.
Prince William Times
(July 1, 2025)
Supervisor Victor Angry funded most of the Juneteenth celebration from his campaign coffers with help from Chuck Kuhn, a data center developer with three pending land-use cases awaiting the board’s consideration.
InsideNoVa
(June 27, 2025)
Board of County Supervisors considering whether to eliminate the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, with deliberations planned for the coming months.
Only in Virginia
(June 27, 2025)
Enchanting forests, boardwalk trails, and a treasure trove of wildlife can be found at Huntley Meadows, a little-known park just outside of Washington, D.C.
Virginia Business
(June 29, 2025)
Increasingly, data center developers are eyeing sites in parts of the commonwealth outside Northern Virginia, the largest data center market in the world. Members of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors decided to put a game plan in place before those developers come to call.
Richmond BizSense
(July 2, 2025)
Denver-based development firm Tract pulled its zoning application that would have set the stage for a data center park on 744 acres at 16100 Branders Bridge Road. but said it is planning to file a new application to facilitate the development, which commissioners unanimously recommended for denial last month.
Cardinal News
(July 2, 2025)
Sam Lionberger, chair of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and Eric Sichau, president and CEO of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce believe Google's investment will help the region retain the skilled workforce that too often graduates and moves to larger metro areas around the country.
Data Center Dynamics
(July 2, 2025)
Land rezoning proposals for three data centers in the world’s largest data center market have been stymied. Plans to change the use of land in Charles City County, Prince William County, and Fauquier County have been rejected or delayed.
Fairfax County News Center
(July 2, 2025)
Fairfax County staff are currently reviewing a site plan for a three-story data center facility that would replace a one-story, vacant office building on the company’s 21.7-acre campus at 12369 Sunrise Valley Drive, just east of Fairfax County Parkway.
InsideNoVa
(July 2, 2025)
When it’s completed, energy produced from the solar array will be used to power county government buildings, with the goal of saving the county $12 million over a 30-year partnership and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 136,000 metric tons over the same period.
The Virginian-Pilot
(July 1, 2025)
According to a recent survey of the population, there are only nine pairs of breeding birds. But the problem isn’t just on the Eastern Shore. In 2019, there were about 100 nests in the area the team surveys, which included First Landing State Park. This year, the team collected complete data from 42 nests and found 25 have failed.
Free Lance-Star
(July 1, 2025)
A state grant of $50,000 will help Spotsylvania County open a locally produced meat market. The grant is part of a range of infrastructure grants totaling $497,000 aimed at supporting local food production and agricultural facilities.
CBS 19 News
(June 30, 2025)
Citing concerns from residents about traffic, water supply and quality of life, Adams announced his position at a town hall last week telling residents he had heard their concerns and believed the county should pause before approving another large-scale data center project.
Cardinal News
(June 30, 2025)
The system would have served one of the electric utility’s most outage-prone circuits – it accounts for 1.3% of system outages and is one of the company’s least reliable circuits. Appalachian said that “many factors,” including storm damage, led to its decision.
NPR
(June 30, 2025)
At a recent meeting, county residents raised environmental and health concerns with representatives from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality about whether data centers are in compliance with the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, a federal law designed to curb air pollutants and major threats to the environment.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(June 28, 2025)
The Board of Supervisors delayed voting on the request from Kansas-based developer Diode Ventures to let it use 515 acres of land zoned for agriculture in the northwestern corner of the county.
Richmond BizSense
(June 27, 2025)
Two sizable data center developments planned for western Chesterfield are now eligible for an extra financial boost from the county after the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved tax incentive agreements for the EDA-initiated projects at sites near Moseley and Westchester Commons.
10 News
(June 26, 2025)
Board of Supervisors voted to approve project in Union Hall on Jacks Creek Rd., marking a rare win that could bring renewable power to over 500 homes.
Cardinal News
(July 2, 2025)
A researcher said his team’s recently published work shows that utility-scale solar does impact nearby property values — and that impact shouldn’t be ignored.
Bristol Herald Courier
(July 1, 2025)
This funding is part of a larger $6.8 million allocation for eight Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant projects. The study, led by Wise County, will investigate the potential of using nuclear microreactors as an alternative energy source to support future business growth in the region.
Cardinal News
(July 1, 2025)
There are now 118,000 good-paying jobs in the Virginia advanced energy industry. Clean energy policy didn’t just enable new power generation; it helped signal to global manufacturers that Virginia is a smart place to do business.
PJR News
(July 1, 2025)
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, black bears are the only bear species in the commonwealth. While they can be found throughout most of Virginia, the highest concentration is in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains and around the Great Dismal Swamp.
The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks
(July 1, 2025)
12 conservation organizations wrote a detailed letter to the acting director of the National Park Service regarding a forthcoming permit request from Dominion Energy for a proposed right-of-way (ROW) expansion for a transmission line through Manassas National Battlefield Park.
This article mentions PEC's president Christopher Miller.
Blue Virginia
(July 1, 2025)
The short anwer is: somewhat, but not nearly what was hoped for or needed...and much of it not related specifically to VCEA
Williamsburg Yorktown Daily
(June 30, 2025)
The Virginia agency responsible for marine regulations will research crab pot devices in order to protect a vulnerable species of turtle in the Chesapeake Bay. Diamondback terrapins are a vulnerable species in the Commonwealth.
Fauquier Times
(June 30, 2025)
Virginia’s largest commodity crops are pollinating but high heat reduces the pollen survival rate, which could impact yields down the road. The amount of rain Virginia experienced this spring may help to offset the heat, helping save crops as the temperature rises.
Daily Signal
(June 27, 2025)
Opposition to the building new data centers for tech companies is prompting many local governments to set up “commissions” to study more regulations on the industry. The Daily Signal sat down with Caleb Taylor, policy director for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, to find out what the solutions should look like and how long they could take to implement.
Cardinal News
(June 27, 2025)
Virginia farmers can apply for state funds to help implement conservation practices that protect water quality, improve soil health and support agriculture’s long-term sustainability.
NPR
(June 26, 2025)
New regulation would require projects under 150 megawatts that impact prime farmland or forestland would be required to mitigate those impacts, either through on-site work or off-site conservation easements.
Read about PEC's role in this important regulation – https://www.pecva.org/resources/publications/piedmont-view/better-solar-through-hb206/
Bay Journal
(June 26, 2025)
Virginia's Department of Health issued its first fish consumption advisory for the presence of harmful chemicals in the Chickahominy River and the White Oak Swamp where its waters originate.
Atlantic Council
(July 2, 2025)
Even as the Trump administration pushes for a rapid expansion of data centers in the United States, greater coordination between the federal and state levels is needed to avoid oversupply and sunk costs, while ensuring that AI development serves the public interest.
Sharyl Attkisson (Podcast)
(June 30, 2025)
All over the country, there are property control fights as our energy needs for data centers, cities, etc. are increasing without adequate infrastructure to feed them.
McGuireWoods
(June 30, 2025)
Georgia has overtaken Northern Virginia as the country’s most active data center market. According to CBRE’s 2024 North American Data Center Trends Report, metropolitan Atlanta recorded 705.8 megawatts (MW) of net absorption, nearly 39 times its 2023 total.
The Northern Virginia Daily
(June 30, 2025)
The North American Bird Conservation Initiative's 2025 State of the Birds report showed that one-third of U.S. bird species are in need of conservation action – 112 "tipping point" species have lost more than 50% of their populations within the past 50 years and "require immediate, focused scientific action to pinpoint causes of declines and develop strategies for recovery."
Financial Times
(June 29, 2025)
US energy companies are pouring record sums into building power plants and transmission lines to meet electricity demand from data centers, raising concerns that the costs may be passed on to consumers. According to Jefferies investment bank, utility capital expenditure is expected to hit $212.1bn in 2025, a 22.3 per cent rise year on year and a 129 per cent increase compared with a decade ago.
Tedium
(June 29, 2025)
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2025 reported that computing is on track to outpace different forms of temperature regulation as the highest commercial energy consumers, sucking up nearly 350 billion kilowatt-hours by 2050.
The New York Times
(June 27, 2025)
Tech industry giants have supersized their spending on artificial intelligence, building data centers that can cost more than $100 billion and will consume more electricity than a million American homes.
The Wall Street Journal
(June 27, 2025)
By 2028, data centers could consume up to 12% of all U.S. electricity, according to a report from the Energy Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
Reuters
(June 27, 2025)
The Trump administration is readying a package of executive actions aimed at boosting energy supply to power the U.S. expansion of AI, which will require a rapid increase in power supplies that are straining utilities and grids in many states.
Sherwood News
(June 27, 2025)
New forecasts from Accenture show carbon emissions from AI data centers could increase 11-fold through the decade, accounting for a 3.4% share of total global CO2 emissions by 2030 in the “base case” scenario.
Bloomberg
(June 27, 2025)
A chorus of critics insist that building on undeveloped land is the only way out of the US housing crisis. But the environmental costs of unrestrained growth are overwhelming.
The Washington Post
(June 24, 2025)
The White House’s 2026 budget is poised to end the annual North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Bird Banding Laboratory, programs under the U.S. Geological Survey’s Ecosystems Mission Area that have provided some of the best information we have about certain species.
