Regional, State and National

PEC joins with partner organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground corridor and Northern Virginia counties.

A Historic Opportunity: Help Make Oak Hill Virginia’s Newest State Park

A Historic Opportunity: Help Make Oak Hill Virginia’s Newest State Park

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an expansive new state park in Loudoun County, a proposed park that will protect a National Historic Landmark and offer easy access to the outdoors for millions of visitors to and residents of Northern Virginia. 

The 2025 Virginia General Assembly is in Session.

The 2025 Virginia General Assembly is in Session.

An overview of the topics that PEC has its eye on this session: data center reform, land conservation and public access, solar implementation, housing and local land use authority

Better Solar through HB206

Better Solar through HB206

A transition to renewable energy is imperative for our planet, and the good news is that Virginia has taken a major step in that direction with the ambitious Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) passed in 2020. The VCEA requires that Dominion Energy build 16.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind energy in the public interest by 2035 and operate with 100% renewable energy by 2045. Recent studies by the University of Virginia tell us we are well on our way. However, a history of poorly designed solar projects in Virginia have made it clear that utility-scale solar can have significant hidden costs if not done well.

General Assembly Snapshot: 2025

General Assembly Snapshot: 2025

The General Assembly convenes on Jan. 8 for a planned “short session” that runs through Feb. 22. PEC has co-authored several white papers that form the framework of the Virginia Conservation Network’s legislative priorities.

Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk

Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk

Virginia’s state and national parks, battlefields, and other historic and recreational sites are under threat from uncontrolled data center development. One notable example is Wilderness Battlefield, in Orange County, which was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.