The Piedmont News is an email digest of top news stories about conservation, land use, energy, and environmental matters of interest to the region. We hope you’ll share The Piedmont News with someone else who cares about these stories.
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E&E News
(July 24, 2026)
When Virginia’s top environmental regulator received an analysis warning of data center pollution, it took him less than five minutes to forward it to seven people on his staff. The Piedmont Environmental Council had sent the report to Michael Rolband as a courtesy two days before publicizing it in March. It ignited a scramble within the agency to poke holes in the analysis, which raised concerns about the health effects of an AI facility that stands at the vanguard of the state’s fastest-growing industry.
Environmental Protection
(July 23, 2026)
Data centers are large facilities that house servers and networking equipment supporting cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital storage and other online services. While the buildings have become a familiar sight across parts of Virginia, environmental advocates argue the larger story lies in the infrastructure needed to power and support them.
This article quotes Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller.
Virginia Mercury
(July 20, 2026)
Dominion Energy, the state’s largest utility, has an estimated 70 gigawatts worth of projects in their queue that need more power sources online before they can link to the energy network. The company is able to connect about 10 large-load customers a year. Tech companies are responding by creating their own power to try to skip the line.
This article quotes Piedmont Environmental Council Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse.
WUSA 9
(July 20, 2026)
Loudoun County Supervisor is calling for new laws after an emergency at the Vantage VA2 campus, amid debate over public health impacts of data center pollution.
This article features an interview with Piedmont Environmental Council Land Use Director Julie Bolthouse.
Notus
(July 20, 2026)
I arrived back at my farm in Rappahannock County, Virginia, recently after a few days away, and it sounded as though an airport had been built during my absence.
Newsweek
(July 18, 2026)
The legal tool at issue is eminent domain, the power to take private property for a public use. Under the Fifth Amendment, private property cannot be taken for public use without “just compensation,” generally tied to fair market value.
Bay Journal
(July 22, 2026)
A two-year study, called Secure the Source, will look at large solutions that could provide emergency water supply for weeks to more than 5 million people in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Bay Journal
(July 21, 2026)
As the Chesapeake Bay warms along with the rest of the planet, its mildly salty and nutrient-gorged waters offer prime habitat for a potentially deadly microbe called Vibrio vulnificus.
Bay Journal
(July 20, 2026)
Along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, marinas are more than gateways to recreation. They are places where environmental policy intersects with everyday activity at the water’s edge.
The Daily Progress
(July 18, 2026)
The author notes that the proposed Valley Link transmission route tracks with Virginia’s former gold mining operations.
WHRO
(July 17, 2026)
Nonprofits and government agencies have worked for years to install sanctuary reefs around the Chesapeake Bay to boost the wild oyster population, but a small clause in a proposed federal budget threatens long-term protection and funding for such reefs.
Sean Tubbs
(July 23, 2026)
In this edition: blasting will take place tomorrow as part of the construction of a pipeline to connect two area reservoirs; the Charlottesville Ten Miler is seeking nonprofit groups who can provide volunteers in exchange for a share of the proceeds of the 2027 race; the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transportation Authority is seeking feedback on a transportation implementation study
C-VILLE Weekly
(July 22, 2026)
When the Piedmont Housing Alliance begins construction of a 71-unit apartment complex in Fifeville later this year, it will do so without a group to operate the desired community space required for the complex’s approval since the Charlottesville Food Co-Op has withdrawn from the project.
29 News
(July 17, 2026)
Piedmont Environmental Council Community Advocacy Manager Peter Krebs speaks in a Channel 29 Community Conversation about Biscuit Run trail work and the September event, Loop de Ville.
This broadcast clips features Piedmont Environmental Council Community Advocacy Manager Peter Krebs.
The Crozet Gazette
(July 3, 2026)
The “little vampire” known as the spotted lanternfly is here to stay. Spotted lanternflies have been feasting on grapevines, maple trees and other plants in Crozet since the summer of 2021, creating a nuisance for winemakers, farmers and gardeners.
The Winchester Star
(July 22, 2026)
More opposition to the proposed Valley North electrical transmission line project was voiced during the Clarke County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday afternoon. On July 13, the supervisors adopted a resolution formally and unanimously opposing the project.
The Winchester Star
(July 21, 2026)
Additionally, the School Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing Valley North's Valley Link proposed transmission line project on Monday, citing concerns over potential impacts on residents and protected lands.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(July 24, 2026)
VDOT is seeking to package together $90 million in high-profile road projects in Culpeper that will add four new roundabouts and improve pedestrian access.
Virginia Tech News
(July 23, 2026)
Virginia Tech grad Glenn Dye, who farms roughly 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans across three counties, has been named Virginia’s 2026 Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year.
Fauquier Now
(July 21, 2026)
Fauquier’s prestigious Ovoka Farm donated over 900 pounds of Wagyu beef to the Fauquier Food Bank Tuesday, increasing access to high-quality meat for Fauquier families struggling to put food on the table.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(July 24, 2026)
It’s been nearly 30 years since AOL built a data center in Ashburn, foreshadowing the boom of an industry that would change Northern Virginia.
Now, after three decades of explosive growth, Loudoun is a new county: the “data center capital of the world” with a $5.4 billion budget, global attention, and constant construction.
This article quotes Piedmont Environmental Council Land Use Director Julie Bolthouse.
NBC News
(July 23, 2026)
When Hari Doue’s 9-year-old twins have tried to sleep in their suburban Virginia home, something has been keeping the boys awake: a “high-pitched whining” sound that wasn’t there before. The sound is generated by the data center that was built nearby.
Loudoun Now
(July 23, 2026)
At the request of Supervisor Juli E. Briskman (D-Algonkian) county leaders are looking for ways to enact a moratorium on new data center applications in Loudoun. That proposal, made during Wednesday night’s meeting, was accompanied by other efforts to regulate data center backup generators and create a decommissioning plan for the industry as well.
Loudoun Now
(July 22, 2026)
The proposal requests a rezoning of 325 acres from Transitional Residential – 10 to Industrial Park, allowing 10 data center buildings, three substations, and a backup power storage facility. The property in on the east side of Evergreen Mills Road south of the Watson Road intersection.
Loudoun Now
(July 22, 2026)
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) has proposed a new alternative route for the Golden to Mars transmission line project that was finalized this week in the State Corporation Commission. This proposal would have the line following Old Ox Road on federally owned land.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(July 20, 2026)
The Loudoun County School Board is appealing to the Virginia Supreme Court to prevent transmission lines from running through school property.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(July 20, 2026)
The State Corporation Commission on Monday denied a request by the Loudoun County School Board, county government and Loudoun Valley Estates Homeowners Association to pause and reconsider its ruling on plans by Dominion Energy to build a new transmission line through eastern Loudoun. The case now moves outside of the SCC’s jurisdiction.
WUSA 9
(July 20, 2026)
An Ashburn homeowner says she is prepared to continue fighting after the Virginia State Corporation Commission denied a request to delay the Golden Mars transmission line project.
Blue Ridge Leader
(July 17, 2026)
After an hour of passionate public testimony Monday evening, the Loudoun County School Board found itself confronting a decision that several members said they never imagined making when they sought public office.
The Rapidan Register
(July 19, 2026)
Orange County District 1 Supervisor Jason Capelle took aim at claims he says “mischaracterizes” the county’s technology zoning district and takes focus away from the fight against Valley Link.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(July 24, 2026)
A packed informational meeting at the Rappahannock County Library on Thursday evening exposed a sharp divide in the community over a proposal to relocate the library to the planned Rush River II development.
Rappahannock News
(July 22, 2026)
Rappahannock County has been designated as a natural disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and farmers impacted by the severe frost and freeze may now be eligible for federal disaster assistance.
Rappahannock News
(July 19, 2026)
Utility companies such as FirstEnergy should provide mitigation for an economic taking (such as the loss of property value or land use due to infrastructure) to prevent the costs of public projects from falling entirely on a few impacted landowners or communities.
This letter is authored by Piedmont Environmental Council Board of Directors President David Aldrich.
WTOP News
(July 24, 2026)
A group of Northern Virginia residents protested Thursday against a plan to build a transmission line in a 6.5-mile stretch of Prince William County, as Dominion Energy hosted an event explaining why the project is needed.
Prince William Times
(July 23, 2026)
Federal officials are considering a land swap that would allow a developer to build at least four data centers next to Prince William Forest Park in close proximity to Quantico Creek, one of the most pristine waterways in Northern Virginia.
Potomac Local News
(July 20, 2026)
This proposal, advanced by local leaders including Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson and Supervisor Tom Gordy, addresses long-standing concerns over skyrocketing land values and data center proliferation in Northern Virginia, with 148 facilities already built, under construction, or planned in the county. Supervisors are expected to consider the zoning text amendment in September.
The Real Deal
(July 22, 2026)
Starwood filed a permit application for its two-building project at the 34-acre Plaza 500 on the Alexandria town line in Virginia. In addition to the two data center properties, Starwood also proposed a substation on the site, which it purchased four years ago for $165 million. That substation would be located within 100 feet of homes in the Bren Mar neighborhood, sparking opposition among residents.
WUSA 9
(July 17, 2026)
The debate over data centers in Prince George's County is intensifying as questions arise about the origins and motivations behind the visible support at rallies. When WUSA9 asked one man about allegations that they'd been paid to show up and protest, this was his response: "The only response I have to that is - everybody gets paid to do what they do, right?" said the man, "Who don't [sic} get paid?"
The Northern Virginia Daily
(July 23, 2026)
Patricia Haley stepped to the microphone June 23 and told the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors to put their tongues behind their front teeth. Virginia law gives localities three routes when officials want to stop a land use. Many in the room wanted the cleanest one. The board took a different one. It had a reason.
29 News
(July 23, 2026)
A legal battle over Amazon’s massive data center project in Louisa County is moving forward in federal court, as one homeowner argues construction next to his property has dramatically changed his family’s quality of life. Austin Newsom has filed a lawsuit alleging the project has caused a wide range of problems since construction began, notably with the tap water.
Virginia Mercury
(July 24, 2026)
The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Wednesday accepted regulation changes outlining how funds from the state’s Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund will be allocated, giving state lawmakers additional time to review the proposals.
Virginia Mercury
(July 24, 2026)
When the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality reviews permits for proposed projects that would impact water, air, or land, the agency must consider whether projects would be in or near environmental justice communities. Now, state environmental regulators are seeking the public’s feedback on the best ways to meaningfully engage with EJ communities on projects that directly affect them.
Inside Climate News
(July 24, 2026)
Virginia is back in the carbon market known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI. Environmentalists cheered the news, but Virginia’s return to the multi-state cooperative for carbon emissions comes with new challenges, including rising energy demand from data centers and emissions from the electricity generation to power them.
Cardinal News
(July 22, 2026)
As it stands under state statute, the SCC is required to issue a determination of merits of a merger within 60 days from a completed application. One extension of no more than 120 days is allowed, and if no determination is made within that time frame, approval is issued by default.
VPM
(July 22, 2026)
The Chesapeake City Council won't review applications for data centers for the next eight months, or until they approve a formal data center policy. In the meantime, the council will finalize the data center policy Chesapeake's Planning Commission sent to them, gather public input and research industry best practices.
Cardinal News
(July 22, 2026)
The author argues that the Botetourt County Planning Commission’s unanimous request that the board of supervisors authorize a public forum on water supply planning, drought response, infrastructure accountability and related topics represents a constructive step.
ABC 13 News
(July 21, 2026)
The debate centers on Dominion Energy's request to recover about $1.5 billion in high-voltage transmission investments needed to meet growing electricity demand. The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) is now deciding whether those costs should be shared broadly among customers or placed more heavily on the data centers driving much of the demand.
Cardinal News
(July 21, 2026)
Just three years ago, wide majorities in both parties backed tax breaks for data centers. Now they don’t. Democrats got to that position first, but most of the political movement this year has come from Republicans, particularly in the western part of the state, which has few such facilities.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(July 20, 2026)
Now, it is up to the State Corporation Commission, along with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state regulators in North and South Carolina to decide if the two utility giants can proceed with the merger they agreed on. Stockholders of both firms must also approve.
The Rapidan Register
(July 20, 2026)
Despite intermittent rain associated with summer storms, most of Virginia still remains in a historic drought, with rain is approximately 7.8 inches below normal on average throughout the state--the second driest water year on record.
WRIC
(July 20, 2026)
A rally at the State Capitol on July 20 brought together residents, Virginia lawmakers and other advocacy groups who are demanding Virginia officials reject a proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy.
Southern Environmental Law Center
(July 20, 2026)
Faced with a massive development proposal that would introduce nearly 3,000 residential units and more than one million square feet of office and commercial development, Virginia tribes are fighting to protect an irreplaceable historic and cultural site, Powhatan’s birthplace, which was named one of Virginia’s most endangered places of 2026 by Preservation Virginia..
WDBJ
(July 20, 2026)
The Western Virginia Water Authority has released a statement regarding the Google data center development in Botetourt County and the public’s concern about its potential water usage. This agreement states that the authority will provide no more than 2 million gallons of water per day initially to the Google data center and that in the future, Google can request a total of 8 million gallons of water per day.
The Cool Down
(July 19, 2026)
Virginia regulators are weighing a decision that could determine who pays for the state's surging electricity demand as data centers continue to expand — everyday households or the tech companies driving the need for new transmission upgrades.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(July 17, 2026)
In this editorial, the authors argue Virginia is taking an important step forward in building a more reliable, affordable and clean energy future and, with it, an abundance of economic opportunities for the commonwealth.
Fredericksburg Free Press
(July 17, 2026)
What to do with a historic cemetery on land proposed for a data center project shouldn’t be viewed as simply a hurdle on the path to approving a revenue-generating business, Connie Barrow told the Stafford County Historical Commission on Wednesday afternoon.
Cardinal News
(July 17, 2026)
A group of Democratic bicameral lawmakers in the General Assembly sent a letter to the State Corporation Commission on Thursday in support of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s effort to urge regulators to assign costs of energy transmission projects driven by data center needs to those facilities.
The Crozet Gazette
(July 3, 2026)
For Henley 4G Livestock, this year’s hay yield is the worst they’ve seen, down more than 50% after the first cutting. The reason? Virginia’s worst drought since 1941. “In a word, it’s dry,” Brook Henley said at the family’s orchard in late June. “We’ve had drought three of the last 5 years, but this is the worst we’ve seen.
WHRO
(July 23, 2026)
For decades, the federal government has protected places to live for the country’s most vulnerable wildlife, helping species such as bald eagles recover from the brink of extinction. The government’s new definition of “harm” does not include habitat destruction.
The Virginian-Pilot
(July 22, 2026)
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D- Va., introduced a package of legislation Tuesday to more tightly regulate the use of artificial intelligence, including requirements for the data centers essential to the fast-growing technology. Part of the package is the “Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act,” which would require data centers to publicly disclose their energy use, water consumption and emissions while also meeting high standards for energy efficiency and environmental protection in return for a federal tax break.
Politico
(July 21, 2026)
Americans’ attitudes toward data centers have grown increasingly sour and politically polarized in the past six months, a trend that signals trouble for the artificial intelligence industry and leaders of both parties, according to new results from The POLITICO Poll.
E&E News
(July 20, 2026)
Data centers sprouting up across the U.S. are facing an emerging environmental challenge: What happens to the wastewater they generate, and what kind of contaminants are in it? Recently, a data center under construction in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was found to have contaminated the sewer system with a rare bacterium that current regulations may not sufficiently address.
The Washington Post
(July 18, 2026)
But experts and activists say that the intensity and breadth of the data center backlash reveals something bigger: Americans’ disgust with political and economic systems that feel stacked against them. Data centers, often backed by technology giants and advancing at the speed of AI, may be tangible symbols for a fed-up public to push back against powerful and unaccountable interests.
Reuters
(July 18, 2026)
Opponents of the rapid buildout of data centers held 142 protests across 42 states on Saturday in the first nationwide effort to channel anger at the AI infrastructure expansion that has ramped up over the past year and roiled local politics.
CBS News
(July 16, 2026)
It was 4 a.m. on a Sunday and 46-year-old Jason Haley was once again wide awake. The suburban silence that Haley had grown used to in his two decades as a resident of Southaven, Mississippi, had, for the last few months, been replaced by a constant whirring, like an airplane hovering over his home, he said.
The Wall Street Journal
(July 13, 2026)
Towns and neighborhoods across the country have rejected data centers. Residents have staged noisy protests, with public anger driving a movement against the spread of these massive, multibillion-dollar projects. At the same time, a select few are quietly saying yes to data centers and becoming wealthy in the process.
Harvard Business School
(June 23, 2026)
Lake Anna, a reservoir built to cool the North Anna nuclear plant, highlights the strain on resources that may be ahead as the administration pushes for an “America nuclear renaissance” to help meet a surge in electricity demand.
This article mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
IEEE Spectrum
(July 20, 2026)
My interest is far more specific: I want to find out what happens to spaces like this when artificial light, specifically from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), intrudes.
The Atlantic
(July 14, 2026)
As they scramble to keep their systems online, AI companies are making things expensive for the rest of us. Large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude are so resource-hungry that tech companies may be purchasing 70 percent of the world’s supply of high-end computer memory, causing a shortage.
