These days, it’s always refreshing to find things that most folks agree on. Solar on rooftops, parking lots and brownfields, along with smaller-scale agrivoltaics (combining agriculture and solar production on the same land), get pretty widespread support in the world of renewable energy and climate efforts. But Dominion Energy wants to undermine the economic viability of these popular energy solutions in Virginia by slashing the value of their most critical element: net metering.
The Piedmont View
Annual Gathering at Eldon Farms draw record crowd, features conservation & agriculture best practices
Although The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Annual Gathering this year got off to a rainy start, there was no stopping our mission of coming together in the name of conservation.
Feeding the Piedmont
All of us here at PEC know that resilient food systems are crucial to building stronger, more sustainable communities. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to support and promote working farms and to bring fresh, locally grown food to people throughout our region.
Randal Fellows immerse themselves in PEC’s work
Twelve college students and recent graduates from around the country joined us this summer for the 19th annual Randal Fellowship, an eight-week immersion program in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s work and exploration of conservation-related careers.
A Conversation on Trails and Connectivity
While conserving the verdant landscapes of Virginia’s Piedmont is foundational to The Piedmont Environmental Council’s mission, making the outdoors accessible to everyone has become an equally vital goal. Over the past few years, we have deliberately integrated trail development into our broader conservation mission, protecting strategic properties that can serve as trail corridors or public access points to create lasting places and ways for people to experience the Piedmont’s natural beauty firsthand.
Conservation Benefits Everyone
The car in front of me swerved to miss something in the road. I slowed, watching a small creature make its slow, plodding way across the asphalt. As I got closer, I realized it was a tiny baby opossum. Three other babies had already been struck in the road, with no mother in sight.
Questioning an Explosive Forecast: PEC Intervenes in Dominion IRP
Several years into the data center explosion in our region, the big picture is finally becoming clear to both the public and our decision makers. No longer are our communities just hearing The Piedmont Environmental Council’s warnings about the potential future impacts of this growth; we are all facing the full onslaught of those impacts now.
Plantings for the Piedmont: A Team Effort
It was a brisk morning in late January as I stood with a Fauquier County landowner. We leaned against a fence at the end of the site visit, discussing the coming tree planting projects at her property, when she said, “I want you to know that we’re a team. Whether it’s today as we’re standing here, tomorrow, or the next day, we’re in this together.”
Growing Connections: How Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides Strengthen Our Community
When Mike Peterson walks the fields at Kinloch Farm each morning, he is doing more than checking on cattle. He is nurturing connections that stretch far beyond the rolling hills of The Plains — connections between families and their food, between communities and farmers, and between people and the land that sustains them.
On the Ground Updates – June 2025
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.