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.

Imperiled by Development, Wilderness Battlefield Named One of Nation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

Posted on May 1, 2024May 16, 2024 by Cindy Sabato

Wilderness Battlefield, site of a pivotal clash that marked a turning point in the Civil War, was named one of the nation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to the threat of a massive data center development that would irrevocably destroy the historic landscapes fundamental to maintaining the area as a vital educational resource and treasured hallowed ground.

Tell Congress: Support the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act

Posted on April 18, 2024April 26, 2024 by PEC

The human and environmental costs of the data center industry are only predicted to worsen with the rise of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence applications. That’s why we’re supporting a new congressional bill, the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024.

A Mixed Bag at the General Assembly

Posted on March 11, 2024March 13, 2024 by Julie Bolthouse

This has been a very busy, and challenging, legislative session.

6,315 acres conserved in nine-county region last year

Posted on March 8, 2024March 8, 2024 by Cindy Sabato

The Piedmont Environmental Council reports that in 2023, 6,315 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties were permanently protected with 52 new conservation easements.

Bills and Budget Amendments Post-Crossover

Posted on February 21, 2024February 21, 2024 by John McCarthy

Now at crossover, some notable progress has been made on a few key priorities of the environmental community.

Data Center Legislation in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly

Posted on February 13, 2024February 13, 2024 by PEC

Numerous pieces of legislation related to data center reform were introduced as part of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Session. Unfortunately, the majority of the bills were defeated or carried over to the 2025 Virginia General Assembly Session.

Take Action: Protect Local Government Accountability

Posted on February 8, 2024February 9, 2024 by John McCarthy

We need your help opposing House Bill 1459 (Owen), which will be voted on by the full Counties, Cities and Towns Committee this Friday morning at 9 a.m.

Three Advocacy Priorities That Need Your Attention

Posted on January 31, 2024January 31, 2024 by John McCarthy

Since the General Assembly began its 2024 session, the newly-opened General Assembly office building and the Capitol have seen frenetic activity, day in and day out. Many bills that were introduced in January have now seen numerous amendments and text changes, with some being passed over and others being voted out of committee and onto the House or Senate floor for action.

Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition

Posted on January 22, 2024October 13, 2025 by PEC

This growing coalition is made up of more than 50 environmental, conservation, historic preservation, and climate advocacy groups, as well as representatives of communities and neighborhoods across the state of Virginia.

Together, we are urging localities to adopt strong local protections and pushing for our state lawmakers to require transparency around and track the cumulative effects of data center development on Virginia’s electrical grid, water resources, air quality, and land conservation efforts, and to institute several common-sense regulatory and rate-making reforms for the industry.

It is thanks to the work of this coalition in spreading the word, mobilizing public support, and working directly in communities that we are starting to see real progress and reform at the local and state level. We encourage you to learn more about the threat of data centers on our communities and natural environment in Virginia at www.pecva.org/datacenters. Also check out the many resources available on the coalition partner webpages below.