Heatmap
(August 7, 2025)
Congressional Democrats will have to trust the administration to allow renewables projects through. That may be too big an ask.
Fauquier Times
(August 6, 2025)
The two Reston-area developers behind Gigaland, a company asking Fauquier County to rezone 200 acres outside Remington for up to seven data centers, hired a political marketing firm in an effort to drum up support. But the campaign backfired last month when the messages swamped Fauquier County supervisors’ mailboxes – and dozens turned out to be spurious.
Shift Key (Heatmap Podcast)
(August 6, 2025)
Rob and Jesse talk through the proposed overturning of the EPA’s “endangerment finding” on greenhouse gases with Harvard Law School’s Jody Freeman.
The New York Times
(August 5, 2025)
If finalized, the move would escalate the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back billions of dollars in climate grants awarded under President Biden.
Fauquier Now
(August 4, 2025)
Southern Fauquier is seeing a wave of data center interest around the Remington area, where one facility has already been approved and others are under review. Developers say the region’s existing transmission lines, substations and history of industrial use make it a prime location for energy-intensive development. While Fauquier has not historically been part of Virginia’s data center corridor, increasing demand—and a shortage of available sites in Loudoun and Prince William counties—is pushing interest farther south into communities like Remington.
Heatmap
(August 2, 2025)
The Interior Department released a new secretarial order saying it may no longer issue any permits to a solar or wind project on federal lands unless the agency believes it will generate as much energy per acre as a coal, gas or nuclear power plant.
Volts (Podcast)
(August 1, 2025)
From Washington state climate policy to post-IRA policy in general, Shah argues that building political durability will need the climate movement to shift its focus from shiny tech to solving everyday cost-of-living problems; and that smart finance is the real key to scaling the energy transition.
The Cool Down
(August 1, 2025)
Urban Grid develops agrivoltaic projects, which combine solar farms and agriculture. The hives at the Crystal Hill Solar location will be part of the outfit's first apiary in a meshing of cleaner energy production, pollinator health, and regenerative land management.
Shift Key (Heatmap Podcast)
(July 31, 2025)
On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob and Jesse talk about why they’re increasingly worried about a surge in electricity prices. What’s setting us up for an electricity shortfall? What does the recent auction in the country’s largest electricity market tell us about what’s coming? And what would a power shock mean for utility customers, the economy, and decarbonization?
Mountain State Spotlight
(August 3, 2025)
While residents in Thomas and Davis (WV) struggled to uncover details about a data center complex planned for their community, the Legislature passed a bill eliminating local authority to regulate projects like the one going up in their backyard.
Mountain Media
(August 2, 2025)
“It solves a problem, but somebody else’s problem … And to be forced to accept this project without any benefit to our citizens while extremely impacting our citizens isn’t something that this commission can stand for.” And with that, the Monongalia County Commission voted Wednesday to take a public position against the 105-mile MidAtlantic Resiliency Link power transmission project looking at parts of West Virginia as a path for 500-kilovolt power lines running from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va.
WTOP News
(August 1, 2025)
ACES Diagnostics is working on new test, which uses a type of AI. Known as ‘LymeSeek,’ the test uses an algorithm to look at each person instead of using a standard interpretation, and uses different antibodies from the 10 that have been used over the past 40 years.
Reuters
(August 1, 2025)
Power consumption in the country is expected to reach record highs in 2025 and 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said earlier this year, driven by the data centers, cryptocurrency applications and electrification of homes and cars.
29 News
(August 6, 2025)
The group turned in a petition with more than 300 signatures, it said, to Supervisors ahead of the decision, advocating for the once cut-through road to be forever closed off for drivers.
This clip features Peter Krebs, Piedmont Environmental Council’s community advocacy manager for Albemarle & Charlottesville
29 News
(August 6, 2025)
While no decisions were reached at Wednesday’s work session, the six supervisors came out of the meeting divided over how exactly to proceed.
This clip features Rob McGinnis, Piedmont Environmental Council's senior land use field representative for Albemarle & Greene counties
CBS 19 News
(August 6, 2025)
Many expressed concerns about the health and climate implications of the new data center proposal. The Piedmont Environmental Council says it supports the county's current regulation with data centers up to 40,000 square feet, with a by-right permit. Anything larger would need a special use permit.
This clip features Rob McGinnis, Piedmont Environmental Council's senior land use field representative for Albemarle & Greene counties
The Climate Collaborative
(August 6, 2025)
Currently in Albemarle, and thanks to a recent placeholder zoning text amendment after advocacy by the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Piedmont Environmental Council, data centers of over 40,000 square feet are required to obtain a Special Use Permit. This allows the Board of Supervisors to approve or deny larger projects on a case by case basis, and request things like additional environmental impact studies. It also provides opportunity for community input on large projects.
This article mentions the Piedmont Environmental Council.
Information Charlottesville
(August 3, 2025)
In June, Albemarle County staff put out a request for proposals for a public-private partnership to build Eastern Avenue, a north-south road that has been partially constructed through new development in Crozet. The basic concept is that a private entity might be willing to participate and cover some of the costs.
29 News
(August 3, 2025)
Experts say the spotted lanternfly populations have continued to grow in Central Virginia. With the invasive insect feeding on the sap of trees and vines, they say it can pose a threat to Virginia’s agriculture.
CBS 19 News
(August 1, 2025)
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority will build this new line that will run from Stadium Road near UVA Grounds all the way across town to Fairview Avenue. The new line won’t serve as a direct supply source for people, but rather a line to connect the two systems on opposite sides of town.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(August 2, 2025)
Richmond American Homes is reviving a plan to build Piedmont Estates, 93 single-family homes on half-acre lots at the prominent southwest corner of Route 211 and Route 229 in Jeffersonton in Culpeper County.
Loudoun Now
(August 5, 2025)
As plans advance to construct more transmission lines to serve the region and to provide greater grid reliability, concerns are growing over who will pay for those infrastructure upgrades.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(August 4, 2025)
Loudoun County and the Lansdowne Conservancy are jointly asking the Virginia Supreme Court to review the State Corporation Commission’s approval of Dominion Energy’s Aspen to Golden transmission line project. County officials are also seeking public participation in upcoming hearings on another proposed transmission line project, Dominion Energy’s Golden to Mars project.
Rappahannock News
(August 7, 2025)
Dominion Energy is ramping up its power production plans to feed the data centers, and it’s likely that residential users across the state will be saddled with rate increases to cover a big part of the company’s investment. The energy demands will also require new or expanded transmission lines to carry electricity to the clusters of computer-packed centers in Fauquier, Culpeper and Loudoun counties, possibly including the lines now crisscrossing Rappahannock.
This clip features Piedmont Environmental Council's President Christopher Miller
Rappahannock News
(August 3, 2025)
Fruit orchards in Rappahannock County are persevering through the summer after the worst spring freeze in nearly 50 years wiped out three-fourths or more of their peach and apple crops, triggering a $50,000 loss of revenue and fruit for at least one orchard.
WVTF
(August 6, 2025)
There's one issue that former Delegate Elizabeth Guzman hears about all the time in her campaign for a battleground House seat in Prince William County – data centers. "They are telling me, 'OK, great data centers are here.' But I don't see what is in it for me. I don't see those incentives reflected on my property tax bill.'"
Prince William Times
(August 5, 2025)
Data centers take up about 12 million square feet of floor space in the county, or 275 acres — the equivalent of nearly 67 Walmart Supercenters. The 15 data centers under construction will add more than 4 million square feet. About 90,500 square feet were also added to existing data centers over the past year, according to the report. Data centers now cover more than 4,000 acres in the county or about 6 square miles.
Free Lance-Star
(August 6, 2025)
The group’s recommendations include a 500-foot setback between data centers and property lines for residences and nursing homes, schools and child-care facilities, as well as a vegetative buffer at least 200 feet wide between data center buildings and residential areas.
Potomac Local News
(August 5, 2025)
Northern Virginia could face more than 400 hours of power outages a year by 2030, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy, raising alarms about the region’s ability to keep up with the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and data centers.
This piece quotes PEC's director of land use, Julie Bolthouse
WTOP News
(August 5, 2025)
A new study, by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin shows that “future Potomac River flows we be impacted by ‘hot drought’, that is, increasing drought severity caused by rising temperatures coupled with natural variability in precipitation.”
InsideNoVa
(August 5, 2025)
Crow’s Nest, which protects mature hardwood forests in a rapidly developing area in northern Virginia, offers public amenities such as hiking and paddling, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation said in a news release.
WTOP News
(August 5, 2025)
The stress of climate change combined with the arrival and establishment of invasive species, such as emerald ash borers, ambrosia beetles and spotted lanternflies, are creating a one-two punch that’s taking down trees. But there are strategies that are being employed to help maintain a healthy tree canopy, such as different types of oak trees that could adapt to the changing climate.
Inside Climate News
(August 6, 2025)
A U.S. District Court judge in Washington hears arguments over the cancellation of funding for flood mitigation and other projects. Among them are those that would have benefited Southwest Virginia.
Free Lance-Star
(August 6, 2025)
The proposed development calls for a 2.278 million-square-foot data center campus on a 73-acre parcel. The property is at the terminus of Cosner Drive in the Berkeley and Lee Hill districts, off of U.S. 17.
Henrico Citizen
(August 6, 2025)
Henrico County officially purchased the six-acre plot for nearly $3 million in July. The area is currently undeveloped, forested land and was previously considered by developers for the creation of single-family homes, an assisted living facility or retail stores.
Virginia Mercury
(August 5, 2025)
Arrays with a total of 1,700 solar panels will be installed on top of the stadium, slated to be built next year, and in the parking lot. They will produce one megawatt of energy that can provide power for an estimated 250 homes at peak output.
Center for Biological Diversity
(August 5, 2025)
The Center for Biological Diversity today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the imperiled Dixie Caverns salamander under the Endangered Species Act. These salamanders are found in just three locations in Roanoke County, Virginia, and are threatened by deforestation, development, disease and climate change.
Virginia Pilot
(August 3, 2025)
Instead of adjusting or building new infrastructure, retreating involves formally moving people or infrastructure away from areas impacted by climate issues. While some homeowners on their own decide the risk isn't worth staying, managed retreat is an organized and strategic effort to migrate.
Richmond BizSense
(August 1, 2025)
The easement prohibits the city-owned 15-acre landmass from ever being developed, and its approval allows the city to recoup $9 million in state grants to put toward the island’s conversion into a public park within the James River Park System.
6 Local News
(August 1, 2025)
In addition to the natural spring that has been flowing for millennia, the property is rich with historical significance. Native Americans, Revolutionary War soldiers, War of 1812 fighters, and Civil War troops all drank from these springs. Military conflicts from multiple American wars played out on this very land, including actions by the United States Colored Troops who earned recognition for heroism in 1864.
Axios
(August 6, 2025)
While many factors can impact electricity prices, a state watchdog report last December said the Virginia's demand for power could double within the next decade if unconstrained. Per the report, that could cost Dominion Energy customers up to $37 more per month by 2040.
Virginia Pilot
(August 6, 2025)
In rural and urban communities alike, Virginians recognize that access to nature is essential to living healthier lives, discovering a deeper sense of self, and fostering a more prosperous economic future for all. That’s why we should be concerned about a recent budget proposal from the White House that would mark a troubling departure from our nation’s bipartisan commitment to protecting our shared lands.
Virginia Mercury
(August 5, 2025)
In a video posted last week, Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, suggested creating opportunity accounts for Virginia children that would start out with a $1000 deposit and adding an additional $100 a month until the child is 18. The way Thomas proposed to pay for the accounts is, in part, through state tax revenue from data centers. Over a third of the world’s data centers are housed in Virginia and currently the state provides a significant tax exemption that entices the companies to build their facilities in the commonwealth.
Radio IQ
(August 4, 2025)
Affordable housing is on the ballot in Virginia this year, as candidates in battleground districts are taking a variety of approaches. Candidates hear it on the campaign trail all the time: The cost of housing is too high.
Bloomberg
(August 4, 2025)
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to delist the rare Virginia sneezeweed, which the agency currently considers threatened, from protections under the Endangered Species Act, according to a Federal Register public inspection notice.
Utility Dive
(August 4, 2025)
The added expenses will increase customer bills by an average of three cents a month over the entire life of the project, said Bob Blue, Dominion’s president, CEO and chairman.
Inside Climate News
(August 3, 2025)
Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger strikes a different tone than the current Republican administration and wants to expand energy possibilities.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(August 2, 2025)
The project – with 176 giant wind turbines in the Atlantic 27 miles off the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, is on schedule to deliver 2,600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 660,000 homes – is now slated to cost $11.2-11.3 billion, up from the $9.8 billion Dominion originally estimated.
13 News Now
(July 31, 2025)
$223 million has been awarded from the state to the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program for fiscal year 2026, the largest investment in the program's history. The program aims to incentivize farm owners to implement conservation practices on their land which, in turn, will benefit the public.
The Washington Post
(August 7, 2025)
At least a half dozen companies are racing to develop tiny reactors. The flatbed-size reactors are designed to generate as little as a single megawatt of power — roughly one-thousandth the amount of a large legacy unit. It’s enough to power 1,000 homes or a single manufacturing plant
The New York Times
(August 7, 2025)
Federal agencies have recently issued a barrage of restrictions that could halt construction of solar and wind farms on public and private lands.
Utility Dive
(August 5, 2025)
Battery storage could reduce average Midcontinent wholesale power price growth by $1.40/MWh, according to a report drafted for the American Clean Power Association.
Politico
(August 5, 2025)
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Curtis (R-Utah) have placed holds on three of President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Treasury Department. The actions follow a so-far unsuccessful effort by a handful of Senate Republicans who are unhappy with the agency’s expected clampdown on wind and solar projects’ use of the tax credits.
E&E News
(August 5, 2025)
When EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his agency would move to repeal the foundation of EPA’s climate regulations, he claimed it would provide a boon to U.S. industry and eliminate $1 trillion in “hidden taxes.” But analysts and legal experts warn it could expose a broad range of industries to more lawsuits and encourage Democratic-led states to bolster their own climate laws.
Bay Journal
(August 4, 2025)
The focus of technology companies and the federal government on winning a global “AI arms race” is showing no signs of slowing, even as the U.S. Department of Energy acknowledges the industry’s contribution to an “energy emergency facing the U.S. power grid.”
Heatmap
(August 4, 2025)
The Clean Air Act prohibits states from enacting their own pollution regulations for mobile sources, such as cars and trucks. California, however, is allowed to request a waiver from the EPA to create its own, stricter rules, since the state was already regulating vehicle pollution prior to the law’s passage. Once EPA approves one of California’s waivers, other states can subsequently adopt the stricter rules without requesting the same federal dispensation.
Axios
(August 4, 2025)
Electricity costs are rising nationwide — and could get even higher for some amid the explosion in data centers powering AI and more. The nationwide average retail residential price for 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity rose from 16.41 cents to 17.47 cents between May 2024 and May 2025, a gain of about 6.5%.
E&E News
(August 4, 2025)
The Interior secretary builds another obstacle for wind and solar projects by directing his department to consider how much space they would need.
E&E News
(August 4, 2025)
Senate Democrats are reviving a push to terminate President Donald Trump’s energy emergency as they blame the White House for rising electricity prices.
The Wall Street Journal
(August 2, 2025)
The build-out of artificial-intelligence infrastructure is costing a fortune, straining companies and capital markets.
The Washington Post
(August 2, 2025)
After a plan to sell public land faced bipartisan backlash, the Interior Department appears to be making a bid to halt the expansion of federal public lands.
WRIC
(August 2, 2025)
As tech companies race to power data centers to support artificial intelligence services, some Americans are reporting spikes in their electricity bills. New reporting suggests consumers are seeing a spike in their energy bills because of data centers – in Ohio, prices are up between 10% and 15%, while in New Jersey, prices have increased 20%.
The New York Times
(August 2, 2025)
The fire in Grand Canyon National Park has grown to more than 114,000 acres amid dry weather and a weak monsoon season in Arizona.
The Wall Street Journal
(August 1, 2025)
The wolf population has swelled since they were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Attacks on cattle and sheep have soared, with ranchers often unable to harm the predators because of their endangered status. Riding to the rescue are drone cowhands, whose quadcopters have thermal cameras that can reveal any wolf lurking in the darkness and bathe it in a spotlight.
Science
(July 30, 2025)
The recent DOE report argues that some of the warming attributed to fossil fuel burning is driven by natural cycles or variability in the Sun, and that sea level rise has not been accelerating. Climate researchers say the authors cherry-picked evidence and highlighted uncertainties to achieve the net effect of downplaying the impacts of climate change. “This shows how far we have sunk,” says Naomi Oreskes, a historian of science at Harvard University. “Climate denial is now the official policy of the U.S. government.”
The Washington Post
(July 30, 2025)
We visited four of the country’s “crown jewels” and found deep concern for the park system’s future among Americans of all political persuasions.
The Wall Street Journal
(July 30, 2025)
SolarEdge and Solar Landscape plan to fit more than 500 warehouses with a combined photovoltaic installation of 630 megawatts, enough to power 80,000 homes
The Washington Post
(July 29, 2025)
Urban trees offer a host of ecological benefits, including combating the heat island effect and reducing the need for air conditioning; removing airborne pollutants and taking in carbon dioxide; absorbing excess rainfall and filtering runoff; providing a habitat for various animals and improving human health. Yet the composition of many urban canopies in the US is dominated by only a handful of tree types, which puts them at risk of being wiped out by a pest encounter.
AP News
(August 6, 2025)
President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 includes no money for the Orbiting Carbon Observatories, which can precisely show where carbon dioxide is being emitted and absorbed and how well crops are growing, potentially shutting off an important source of data for scientists, policymakers and farmers.
McKinsey & Company
(July 29, 2025)
A data center is a facility that houses and runs IT infrastructure that’s critical to the digital economy, particularly gen AI.
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