Decisions that are made affect everyone and I’ve spent a good chunk of my career trying to show people where and when they are going to happen.
Our Region
PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
Reminder: Amazon data center hearing Feb. 14
Just a quick reminder that the Warrenton Town Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed Amazon data center Special Use Permit application next Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 at the Fauquier High School Auditorium.
2023 General Assembly Crossover Update
This Tuesday marked the halfway point of Virginia’s 2023 General Assembly Session, a date known as ‘crossover.’ The House and Senate have each finished voting on the bills their members put forward, and now move on to consider legislation passed by the opposite body.
Getting ready for the 2023 season at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows
Preparations for the 2023 season are well underway at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows! We can’t wait to have volunteers back out in the wake of Spring and to start planting.
Week Ahead for February 6, 2023: Public hearing for Council replacement in Charlottesville; Albemarle holding traffic town halls; Fluvanna PC to review Zion Crossroads Gateway Plan
It’s another busy week on local and regional government, so let’s get right to it!
Virginia goes all in on data centers: At what cost?
Send a letter in support of SB 1078 and Senate Joint Resolution 240.
Resources from our Solar on the Farm Workshop
On Friday, January 27, 2023, more than seventy participants gathered together to learn more about small agricultural solar. This workshop hosted by The Piedmont Environmental Council covered the latest information on incentives offered by USDA Rural Energy for America Program for improving energy efficiency and/or installing renewable energy, information about ag net metering and small generators options with utilities, tools for analyzing return on investment and tips for finding reputable solar installers.
Clarke County Land Conservation Fund
The Clarke Fund works in partnership with numerous organizations and employs a variety of strategies to ensure conservation resources are protected for future generations.
Wilderness Crossing: Breadth of Rezoning and FOIA Results Prompt New Concerns
We want to highlight how ridiculously broad this proposed rezoning would be and share some important information gathered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request PEC submitted to Orange County.
Week Ahead for January 30, 2023: Two budget meetings in Charlottesville; Albemarle Supervisors to consider grant program for affordable housing
It is another one of those strange weeks that begins with a Fifth Monday that also includes a First Wednesday. There’s a rhythm to all of these meetings and an extra couple of days at the end of the month either allows for a break or allows for an extra meeting that no one anticipated.