City Council to review potential zoning map changes at final work session on Development code
Strong Communities
PEC believes that the work of protecting natural resources and the work of building better communities are integral to each other.
2023 Highlights: A Holistic Approach to Conservation
PEC works to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. The following highlights reflect our work in 2023.
Resources from our Solar on the Farm workshop – November 14, 2023
On November 14, 2023, PEC hosted a workshop called “Solar on the Farm: Improving Your Ag Operation with On-site Energy.”
Breaking update on PEC’s VFOIA lawsuit against Orange County
Orange County officials signed NDAs with Amazon; court hearing deferred
Piedmont Environmental Council sues Orange County for VFOIA violations
In the interest of good governance and transparency, The Piedmont Environmental Council filed a lawsuit yesterday against Orange County for improperly denying public access to documents pertaining to a local rezoning application, in violation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit comes after Orange County officials were unresponsive to PEC’s petition for a Writ of Mandamus, served on Oct. 26, which gave county officials a number of days to correct their VFOIA deficiencies. The lawsuit reflects PEC’s growing concern about the dramatic loss of public access to information about land use decisions in Orange County and across the Commonwealth.
Putting the Pieces Together on Digital Gateway
Since 2021, PEC has been supporting our partners’ heroic efforts to stop the largest data center campus in the world from being built on rural land next to Manassas National Battlefield Park, along Pageland Lane in Prince William County, Virginia.
The proposal, dubbed “Digital Gateway,” is massive and is projected to require around 3 gigawatts (GW) of energy. For context, that’s equivalent to the power used by 750,000 homes – roughly 5 times the number of households currently in Prince William County!
An Albemarle and Charlottesville Update
It has been a busy summer here as PEC continues to work to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities.
PEC Presentation on Energy Infrastructure and Data Centers (Upperville)
On Oct. 23, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a community meeting in Upperville, Va. on data centers and associated energy infrastructure.
Creating Walkable Piedmont Communities: A Resource Guide
This guidebook is intended for local government staff, community stakeholders, and residents interested in revitalizing downtown main streets, making neighborhood streets safer, and connecting parks, civic and natural amenities with trails.
2024 General Assembly: Building Bipartisan Support for Conservation
Updates on the conversations taking place in Richmond and a few of the ways PEC is working to support conservation efforts statewide.