The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is currently accepting comments on a proposed change that would allow data centers to run backup diesel generators during planned outage events. Until now, these generators could only be used in the case of “sudden and reasonably unforeseeable events” or maintenance.
Our Work
Safeguarding the landscapes, communities and heritage of the Piedmont by involving citizens in public policy and land conservation. Learn more about our work by browsing the subject areas below and find out how to get involved!
Albemarle Comprehensive Plan Adopted!
After four years, 40 PEC action alerts, and many changes to the timeline, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Albemarle County Comprehensive Plan update (AC44) Wednesday, Oct. 15!
The Fight to Stop Dominion’s Attack on Small-Scale Solar – Webinar Recording
On October 21, Solar United Neighbors hosted a webinar on Dominion Energy’s proposal to severely limit net metering. PEC’s Senior Energy & Climate Policy Advisor, Ashish Kapoor, shared findings from our new Value of Solar report.
Halloween Costume Bike Promotes Safety on the Roads
Around 30 riders decorated their bikes, dressed up as extra-terrestrials, supernatural beings, cartoons and food items, and enjoyed a November evening of biking around Charlottesville.
Fauquier Fall Updates 2025
We’ll touch on VDOT’s proposed I-66 bridge expansion at historic and iconic Thoroughfare Gap, the transition point into the rural Piedmont, at the beloved Chapman-Beverley Mill. Then, very impactful to all of us, we’ll talk about various power infrastructure and data center projects across the county.
Op-Ed: Protect Virginians from paying billions for data center infrastructure
Billions of dollars of new power generation and transmission infrastructure is needed to meet data center demand. As of now, all of Virginia’s ratepayers are on the hook to pay for this through their electric bills.
Conservation Funding Workshop & Social 2025 – Resources
It was fantastic to have such an engaged crowd at our recent Conservation Funding Workshop and Social at Powers Farm & Brewery in Midland!
Loudoun County Fall Updates
Read on for Loudoun updates on data center, agrivoltaics, transportation, rural zoning, and water issues, as well as opportunities to weigh in on important issues impacting your community!
The Value of Solar Report
Committed to advancing Virginia’s clean energy future, PEC commissioned Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors to study and calculate the actual value of distributed solar generation to every Virginian — factoring in the range of benefits that utilities do not acknowledge when they are proposing big cuts to net metering values.
Learn more about our findings on the Value of Solar landing page.
Dominion Petition to Reduce Net Metering Benefits Threatens Future of Distributed Energy
Public comment opportunity in late 2025 and early 2026
In May 2025, Dominion Energy petitioned the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to make regulatory changes to “net metering,” a billing arrangement whereby owners of rooftop and other small-scale solar receive a 1:1 credit for the excess energy their systems generate and send back to the grid. This is the fundamental structure that makes solar economically viable and financially accessible to homeowners, farmers and small businesses. However, because it loses profits from distributed energy, Dominion wants to cut that net metering value and severely undermine the benefit and practicality of all distributed generation — all at a time when we are importing more energy than any other state and are projected to need an additional 40-50 gigawatts to accommodate data center growth. Dominion’s case before the State Corporation Commission later this year and in early 2026 will provide an important opportunity to provide public comment. PEC is an intervenor in this case, posing questions and offering additional information that can be used in the SCC’s decision making. We encourage you to submit comments in support of the current net metering rate structure.
For more information about the Value of Solar report or PEC’s energy work, contact Ashish Kapoor at [email protected].
Net Metering Fight, Value of Solar Report and PEC’s Agrivoltaics Project
Read on to learn more about our recently completed, first-of-its-kind in Virginia, agrivoltaics project at PEC’s Community Farm; the results of a PEC-commissioned study on the true value of smaller-scale solar; our efforts to ensure rooftop solar owners and other behind-the-meter solar users are able to maintain electricity bill savings in the face of a challenge by Dominion; and our upcoming efforts, both during the General Assembly and year-round, to increase distributed generation energy (i.e. solar on rooftops, parking lots, small-scale agrivoltaics, etc.) in Virginia.