Virginia Mercury
(September 4, 2025)
If it were to become law, the bill would provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based organizations, higher education institutions, and local governments that want to increase the supply of affordable rental housing by constructing or preserving it on their property. Households “at or below 60% of area median income” levels, along with people who are “homeless or at risk of homelessness, including veterans” would be key beneficiaries of the programs.
Rappahannock News
(September 4, 2025)
The moment for the conservation non profit is "transformative," said john McCarthy, PEC's senior advisor and director of strategic partnerships. Stated most starkly, the Warrenton-based organization is staring down the seven dominant technology giants that have turned Virginia into the epicenter for data centers, supplying the computing power required by the super-sector of artificial intelligence.
This clip features Piedmont Environmental Council's president Chris Miller and senior adviser & director of strategic partnerships John W. McCarthy.
Canary Media
(September 4, 2025)
Known as the data center capital of the world, Virginia offers a crucial test case for electric utilities: Can they meet power demand from the explosion of AI while keeping bills affordable and slashing carbon emissions? Many experts fear that Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, is failing that test.
Heatmap
(September 4, 2025)
With electricity prices rising and data center developers desperate for power, there has seemed to be a new consensus forming around a way to solve both problems using the existing grid, simply by asking data centers to ramp down their energy use at times of peak demand. The whole thing looks like a win-win-win. Researchers have argued that even relatively low levels of curtailment could make room for almost 100 gigawatts of new load to the grid. Goldman Sachs released a report praising data center flexibility, and Google even negotiated a contract to enable flexibility with a Midwestern utility.
So everyone is on board with curtailment, right? Well, no, at least not in the largest electricity market in the country — and the one that has become the poster child for backlash to data center development.
Utility Dive
(September 3, 2025)
Amazon and others urged PJM to drop the proposal and instead focus on how to improve load forecasting, bolster the grid interconnection process and strengthen regional transmission planning.
Secure Solar Futures
(September 2, 2025)
The State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) Final Order on Appalachian Power’s proposal to revise its net metering program issued on August 29, 2025, is a clear victory for distributed residential and commercial solar, wind, and alternative energy resource owners.
WUSA 9
(September 2, 2025)
State regulators are determining how much Virginians will be paying for electricity down the road. That has some residents questioning if they will be paying higher costs because of data centers, which use large amounts of energy. Dominion Energy has proposed increasing bills by 15%, which would raise the average customer's monthly bill by about $21 within the next two years.
"The assumption is it's your air-conditioning that's driving peak load, and therefore the size of the system. But with data centers, that goes out the window,” said Christopher Miller, the president of the Piedmont Environmental Council, who is a party in the Dominion Energy rate case hearing.
Piedmont Environmental Council president Chris Miller was interviewed for this clip.
NPR
(September 2, 2025)
A group of more than 85 scientists have issued a joint rebuttal to a recent U.S. Department of Energy report about climate change, finding it full of errors and misrepresenting climate science. This comes weeks after the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration that alleges that Energy Secretary Chris Wright "quietly arranged for five hand-picked skeptics of the effects of climate change" to compile the government's climate report and violated the law by creating the report in secret with authors "of only one point of view."
Virginia Mercury
(September 2, 2025)
Customer participation creates what is called a “virtual power plant” (VPP), sometimes also called a community power plant. The VPP may use battery aggregation, as in Puerto Rico, or demand reduction measures like temporary adjustments to smart thermostats or shifting electric vehicle charging to off-peak times. The more these measures are combined, the bigger the benefit to the grid, and the less a utility needs to invest in new generation to meet peaks in demand.
Fredericksburg Free Press
(August 29, 2025)
The event was held to talk about cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, in Trump’s law. But Warner also mentioned other funding decreases the administration has made to Medicaid and education.
WUSA 9
(August 29, 2025)
VIRGINIA, USA — More data centers are coming to Virginia, with Google investing another $9 billion in the facilities. Google will create a new data center in Chesterfield, Va., and will expand facilities in Prince William and Loudoun Counties.
This clip features Piedmont Environmental Council president Christopher Miller.
Utility Dive
(August 29, 2025)
Utilities are private for-profit companies that enjoy state-granted monopolies to deliver gas and electricity. These companies, which rely on government-approved rates levied on captive utility ratepayers to generate revenue, are among the most powerful actors in state and federal policymaking. Because policy decisions can transform profits, utilities and their trade associations are actively speaking on and engaged in controversial political debates on issues such as climate change response, infrastructure investment, land-use, and the role of the government in regulating private businesses. Utilities often fund their political speech and political activity through government-set energy rates, which raises concerns that regulators are impermissibly burdening ratepayer associational and speech interests protected by the First Amendment.
Bay Journal
(August 19, 2025)
No part of the planning for these additional power lines has been without opposition. The high-voltage lines are towering, with poles measuring up to 165 feet high and requiring wide rights-of-way beneath them that can skim property lines and require tree removal. The high-voltage lines also create electromagnetic fields (EMF), which have been the source of health concerns for some in the community, particularly for locations near schools and neighborhoods.
“It’s the industrialization of Loudoun County that’s crept up on us,” said Gem Bingol, senior land use field representative for Loudoun County for the Piedmont Environmental Council. “ ‘What is Loudoun turning into?’ is the question I’m hearing now over and over.”
This clip quotes Piedmont Environmental Council's senior land use field representative for Loudoun County Gem Bingol.
YouTube
(August 17, 2025)
Electricity bills are skyrocketing and water reserves are dwindling, yet Big Tech giants like OpenAI, Meta, and Amazon are thriving. They’ve secured billions in tax breaks while you foot the bill through higher rates and taxes to power their AI servers. ChatGPT's true cost goes far beyond its $20 monthly subscription: consumers are shouldering $9.3 billion in increased electricity costs. Multi-trillion dollar companies are receiving billions in tax breaks, consuming more than 463 million gallons of water during droughts, and signing secret NDAs with city officials. We are subsidizing the very tech billionaires who are actively working to replace human workers.
Renewable Energy World
(September 2, 2025)
For two years in a row, PJM’s process for ensuring the grid has sufficient power plant capacity has resulted in record high prices, which will get passed on to consumers. The results are tied to rising electricity demand for data centers and a bottleneck in approving grid connections for new projects.
29 News
(September 2, 2025)
The Albemarle Architectural Review board has approved a motion for solar power in two county schools – Albemarle High and Center Two just got the greenlight.
Augusta Free Press
(August 31, 2025)
Prysby considers the Rivanna Trail a treasure in Charlottesville for families, on-leash dogs and mountain bikers. Some of the sections are also perfect for walkers, runners and nature observers. “We’re fortunate here in Charlottesville to have the Rivanna Trail, a rustic walking trail that encircles the city. I’ve ‘thru-hiked’ the 20-mile trail several times, and it is a great way to get to know Charlottesville neighborhoods and parks.
29 News
(August 31, 2025)
Volunteer registrations are open for the sixth annual Rivanna River Round Up clean-up event organized by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance. The yearly watershed clean-up effort will take place on the weekend of September 20.
Volunteers can register to participate in land and water clean ups along the Rivanna River — walking, paddling, or wading to remove waste from the water.
The Daily Progress
(August 29, 2025)
Two more employees in the Albemarle County registrar's office are set to resign amid a criminal investigation into the former registrar's finances.
Cville 100
(August 19, 2025)
A discussion about a proposed data center ordinance that would allow large data centers by-right in designated overlay zones of Albemarle County.
This clip features Rob McGinnis, Piedmont Environmental Council's senior land use field representative for Albemarle and Greene counties.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(September 1, 2025)
A local female entrepreneur who is familiar face at the farmer’s market recently opened a brick and mortar that is bringing natural wellness to the community. Rixeyville resident Rebecca Melton celebrated a ribbon cutting August 14 in downtown Culpeper at her new day spa, Bello Muse Holistic Beauty. The laidback space offering a variety of products and services is at 105 N. Main St. suite 241, upstairs from Culpeper Media Network, on the historic site of the town’s first colonial courthouse.
Fauquier Times
(September 2, 2025)
As the controversial Gigaland data center project headed toward what looked like a summer vote by the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, the developer’s outreach director contacted a list of what he assumed were supportive residents with a special incentive: send an email to the supervisors and get a $100 Amazon gift card in return.
Fauquier Times
(September 1, 2025)
In Fauquier County, anti-data center activists like Burbank often say: “Don’t Loudoun Fauquier,” illustrating a tension as developers look to expand beyond Data Center Alley and into a county that has historically resisted development. But as data center applications flood into the southern end of the county, some Loudoun officials are looking to cash in on Fauquier. To Burbank, learning that two members of the Loudoun County Planning Commission were involved with a Fauquier County property sale that’s part of a larger plan to build a 2.2 million sq. ft. data center campus was shocking.
Data Center Dynamics
(September 1, 2025)
Opposition group the Piedmont Environmental Council called the withdrawal a “victory and a testament to the power of civic engagement.”
“The developers’ decision to withdraw the application is a direct result of the strong community opposition that made it clear they did not have the support needed for a 'yes' vote from the board,” the council said. “We remain deeply concerned about the impacts of data centers on our county and region.”
Fauquier Times
(August 29, 2025)
As a Loudoun County neighborhood awaits the State Corporation Commission’s decision on which path a new high-powered transmission line to feed power-hungry data centers may take, lawmakers are weighing in. Last week, three state legislators told regulators they want to protect the community from having the transmission lines being built there.
Rappahannock News
(September 3, 2025)
The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday directed the Planning Commission to begin working on a potential Zoning Ordinance amendment regarding electrical substations. This was after a presentation from the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) advocating for regulations amid data center growth around the region.
This clip features Piedmont Environmental Council's land use field representative for Culpeper County Sarah Parmelee
InsideNoVa
(September 2, 2025)
The purchase, finalized Aug. 14, allows the county to protect a site that saw combat during both the Battle of Kettle Run in August 1862 and the Battle of Bristoe Station in October 1863, according to a news release Tuesday. With the new addition, Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park in Bristow encapsulates more than 160 acres, the release states.
Prince William Times
(September 2, 2025)
At Prince William Forest Park, trees bearing pawpaws can be found along the creeks and streams, park officials said in a recent Facebook post. Pawpaw fruit is sweet and similar to a slightly tangy banana. The flesh is edible, but the skin and large black seeds are not.
WTOP News
(September 3, 2025)
If approved, it would be only the third exemption to the District’s tree canopy protections since they were enacted in 2002. According to Casey Trees, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the tree canopy in D.C., the legislation could set a bad precedent for other developers who would remove similar large trees without regard to the impact to the environment.
GreaterGreaterWashington
(September 3, 2025)
Our region will continue to spew unsafe levels of climate-warming pollution under Visualize 2050, the new long-range plan from the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB). Even a more rapid switch to electric vehicles won’t be enough to meet our emissions reduction targets as the plan does too little to foster the more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly communities needed to curb emissions from vehicles.
Virginia Mercury
(September 2, 2025)
Spanberger commits to returning Virginia to RGGI, while Earle-Sears has supported the state’s removal from the carbon credits program, which generated funds that boosted flood mitigation and climate resiliency projects.
WTOP News
(September 1, 2025)
In addition to the wonderful sky sights of September, we have an extra bonus — the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora.
WTOP News
(September 1, 2025)
In what the Arlington County Fire Department described as an “unusual rescue,” firefighters were called to get the exotic bird out from behind an appliance Sunday.
Patch
(August 28, 2025)
Several local groups are seeking an end to Dominion Energy's tree clearing, which has already affected a section around Vienna.
The Rally for W&OD will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the Vienna Town Green (144 Maple Avenue E), which the trail runs through.
Virginia Tech News
(August 29, 2025)
An early love for the outdoors led Leila Christopher to a hands-on internship with the National Parks Conservation Association.
Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism
(September 3, 2025)
Renewable energy developers planned dozens of projects on property owned by The Nature Conservancy. Then President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, upending an unprecedented effort to revitalize Appalachia.
ABC 8 News
(September 2, 2025)
Communities like Richmond, Hanover, Henrico and Petersburg have all faced significant water-related challenges since January. Eager to find solutions to water system failures that have spanned decades, leaders at the meeting said stronger regional cooperation is the key to progress. They all agreed — state and federal agencies must invest heavily in Virginia’s aging water infrastructure.
Virginia Business
(September 2, 2025)
Massachusetts-based fusion energy company Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is planning to build the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion energy plant in Chesterfield County, announced it has raised $863 million in a Series B2 fundraising round, much of which will be used to construct the $2.5 billion-plus plant.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(September 1, 2025)
Lakeside could be on the verge of a conversion into the county's "Garden District." Early plans call for the streets to be narrowed, lines of trees along the roadway, bike lanes, more prominent entrances and overall safer walking conditions for people traveling there.
Engage Louisa
(August 31, 2025)
The county announced in a press release last week that Maggie Brakeville has accepted the position. A Louisiana native with a law degree and deep experience in agricultural policy, Brakeville will join the county’s Community Development Department in mid-September. In her new role, Brakeville will work directly with landowners, producers, and conservation partners to advance farmland preservation initiatives and strengthen agricultural marketing and outreach, according to the release.
Data Center Dynamics
(August 25, 2025)
As reported by the Washington Business Journal, the campus will span 485 acres on the north side of James Madison Parkway. Oasis is planning to build 10 data center buildings on the site for a total square footage of 6.8 million (631,740 sqm). It is expected to have an IT capacity of 1.2GW.
Utility Dive
(September 4, 2025)
Virginia already imports more electricity than any other state. Demand is surging, driven mostly by data centers. A 2024 report from the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission projected that Virginia’s electric demand could triple by 2040 if data center growth continues on its current path. The only way to meet this demand reliably is for large power users, especially data centers, to build their own. But that raises another critical question: What kind of power can actually come online in time?
Cardinal News
(September 3, 2025)
Virginia Democrats have pushed renewables while Virginia Republicans have pushed “all of the above” energy options. Trump, though, wants to shut down one particular form of energy at a time when the economy demands more energy.
InsideNoVa
(September 3, 2025)
Dominion Energy is proposing a rate increase for residential customers that will add on an additional $10.51 a month starting in 2027. The utility company that serves over two million Virginia homes is also attempting to create a new rate class just for large power users, such as data centers, a nod to a 2024 recommendation by a Virginia legislative commission.
Virginia Business
(September 2, 2025)
Nearly a quarter of the electricity used in the state in 2023 was gobbled up by the increasing number of data centers serving Google, Amazon, Microsoft and other tech giants – enough to power up to 1 million homes. A report released by the U.S. Department of Energy late last year estimated that electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(September 2, 2025)
"Supporters of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) like to point to big headline numbers, such as Dominion’s projection that Virginians will save $6.6 billion in fuel costs by 2035. But what they don’t tell you is that much of those savings would occur with any new in-state generation, including natural gas, because producing electricity here, whether with gas or solar, is cheaper than importing it from out of state. Pretending those savings are unique to the VCEA is misleading."
Loudoun Now
(September 2, 2025)
A hearing to determine whether the biennial rate increase request by Dominion Energy will be granted began [Tuesday] at noon in Richmond with speakers from across the state calling in to submit their testimonies. During the multi-day event, the State Corporation Commission will hear arguments by Dominion and other parties involved in the case, including the Piedmont Environmental Council and various data center organizations. If approved, this year’s submission would see the average residential bill increase by $20 per month by 2027.
The Piedmont Environmental Council is mentioned as a party to the proceedings.
WRIC
(September 1, 2025)
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has begun reviewing Dominion Energy’s proposal to increase customers’ bills by an average of $21 per month within the next two years. Dominion Energy announced the new base and fuel rates in April after submitting filings to the SCC, saying the rate changes were because of the increasing cost of labor, materials and equipment, power capacity and fuel, and grid upgrades.
“This is probably one of the most important regulatory decisions ever made in Virginia,” said Christopher Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), warning the stakes are high for all Virginians. “The whole understanding of how we distribute costs has to change. Every person, every household, every small business, every farm runs the risk of a doubling or even a tripling of the amount they pay each month.”
Piedmont Environmental Council's president Chris Miller is featured in this clip.
Virginia Mercury
(August 29, 2025)
Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) residential users could see their utility bills increase by an average of over $8 monthly, if state regulators accept the company’s current proposal to make an interim rake hike permanent.
Southern Environmental Law Center
(August 29, 2025)
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved Appalachian Power Company’s proposal to cut by 70% the compensation rate for net excess power that rooftop solar systems supply to the grid, with a few important modifications. The Commission noted that only “[a]ny net excess generation that is ‘fed back to the electric grid’ as measured over the course of the 12-month net metering period shall be compensated” at the new avoided cost rate.
Cardinal News
(August 25, 2025)
The Virginia Supreme Court recently found that internet service provider Cox Communications can’t use a 2023 law to impose eminent domain on railroad property when trying to reach remote areas.
Utility Dive
(September 3, 2025)
Growing international demand is causing natural gas prices to rise, which will in turn push U.S. electricity prices higher now that about 40% of U.S. generation comes from natural gas, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Harvard Law Today
(September 3, 2025)
State and local officials often celebrate these new computing warehouses, which promise to bring job opportunities, tax revenue, and other economic benefits. But they sometimes come with a price: rising utility rates for their neighbors, including businesses and individual consumers, Peskoe says. Part of the problem is the data centers’ appetite for electricity – “facilities under development right now will use more energy than large cities.”
The Washington Post
(September 3, 2025)
A new storm may form in the Atlantic later this week, which could signal the start of an active period for hurricanes into October.
Canary Media
(September 3, 2025)
If Trump kills the now-frozen offshore wind project, utility customers will pay more money for dirtier and less reliable electricity.
E&E News
(September 3, 2025)
The administration is giving gas stations an edge as it restarts a $5 billion Biden-era program to build charging stations along highways.
Heatmap
(September 2, 2025)
A federal appeals court cleared the way for the Trump administration to kill former President Biden’s $20 billion green bank program, which would have provided low-cost loans for solar installations, building efficiency upgrades, and other local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Reuters
(September 2, 2025)
The group of scientists, led by professors Andrew Dessler from Texas A&M University and Robert Kopp from Rutgers University, submitted a more-than 400 page review of the assessment written by five scientists handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright who have a contrarian view of mainstream climate science in time for the Sept. 2 deadline for public comment.
The Sensemaker
(September 2, 2025)
Computer chip company Nvidia’s revenue is soaring to record highs, but an MIT report found 95% of companies investing in generative AI haven’t made money from it.
AInvest
(September 1, 2025)
Local resistance to data centers has become a bipartisan phenomenon. In Virginia, the Data Center Reform Coalition successfully pressured Amazon
to withdraw its $24.7 billion Digital Gateway proposal near the Manassas National Battlefield Park, citing threats to historic sites and water resources Similarly, in Texas and Arizona, Republican-leaning communities have raised alarms about tax incentives and grid strain, while Democratic areas emphasize environmental justice and resource overuse. These conflicts are not limited to ideological divides; they reflect tangible concerns. For instance, data centers in Virginia consumed 25% of the state’s electricity in 2023, a figure projected to rise to 46% by 2030.
The Wall Street Journal
(September 1, 2025)
Utilities see a massive opportunity in AI but realize that many proposed data-center projects will never be built
The Conversation
(September 1, 2025)
AI is not just about knowing how to write prompts. It also involves understanding the infrastructure, the trade-offs, and the civic choices that surround AI. When people understand its actual footprint, where the effects come from, how they vary, and what can be done to reduce them, they are far better equipped to make choices that balance innovation with sustainability.
CNBC
(August 31, 2025)
If a taxpayer acquires an EV by having a “written binding contract in place” and makes a payment on or before Sept. 30, they’d be entitled to claim the federal tax credit when they eventually take possession of the vehicle — even if that’s after Sept. 30.
Inside Climate News
(August 31, 2025)
The data centers that power artificial intelligence require huge amounts of electricity. Some experts estimate we’ll need as much as 25% more electricity by 2030, and 78% by 2050, to meet this demand alone. Whether that electricity comes from renewable energy or fossil fuels has big implications for climate change.
The New York Times
(August 29, 2025)
The Trump administration’s campaign against wind power continued as it targeted funding for marine terminals and ports to support development of the industry.
Heatmap
(August 29, 2025)
Rising utility rates and the broader cost of living crisis are becoming a political liability for Republicans and President Trump. Clean energy advocates are attempting to capitalize on that, trying to get Americans to connect the dots between their mounting electricity bills and their representatives in Congress who voted to cut support for renewable energy.
E&E News
(August 28, 2025)
Under the proposed rule, the federal government would regulate wetlands only if they contain surface water throughout the “wet season,” and if they would need to be abutting and touching a river, stream or other waterbody that also flows throughout the wet season.
Financial Times
(August 28, 2025)
Almost 200 people have left the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission since the president’s inauguration in January, and the pace of executive departures shows little sign of slowing with the resignation of the agency’s director of nuclear security and its general counsel.
Inside Climate News
(August 28, 2025)
Legal scholars suggest revisiting a core tenet of electricity regulations and taking cues from how officials manage scarce resources such as water in the West.
Utility Dive
(August 27, 2025)
Interest varies by age, wealth and other characteristics, according to the poll by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Volts (Podcast)
(September 3, 2025)
Lithium-ion dominates the battery world, but alternative chemistries are finding their niches. A discussion with Landon Mossburg, CEO of Peak Energy, about using sodium-ion batteries for large-scale grid storage and the potential geopolitical opportunity of competing in a battery market that China doesn't already completely own.
Heatmap
(September 2, 2025)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industry aims to double its capacity to build gas turbines over the next two years. The industry is essentially an oligopoly of three suppliers: Mitsubishi, GE Vernova, and Siemens Energy. Due to the high level of capital investment necessary to build turbines, there’s little chance of the triumvirate expanding. This means it’s a seller’s market.
Rolling Stone
(July 30, 2025)
Energy from the sun (and from the wind, which is just another form of solar power) is now cheaper than any other power; we live on a planet where the cheapest way to make energy is to point a sheet of glass at the sun.
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