The Piedmont News is an email digest of top news stories about conservation, land use, energy, and environmental matters of interest to the region. We hope you’ll share The Piedmont News with someone else who cares about these stories.
Cardinal News
(April 22, 2026)
Data center tax exemptions remain the sticking point amongst budget negotiators, with the Senate in support of ending those exemptions 8 years early in 2027 and the House opposed. House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said on Wednesday that a biennial budget will be ready by June, signaling that it could be months before a compromise on data center tax exemptions is reached.
Fortune
(April 21, 2026)
Data centers carry a hidden cost that dwarfs their price tag, according to new research. It’s not money. It’s the health of Americans living near them. Muller tracked data centers’ electricity needs last year and found how much air pollution and additional planet-warming greenhouse gases local grids generated to supply that demand... The result is that data centers’ environmental damage last year cost the economy at large $25 billion...
This article mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Potomac Local News
(April 20, 2026)
The Potomac River ranks as the most endangered river in the U.S. according to American Rivers’ 2026 list, released this month. The designation is largely driven by rapid, uncontrolled data center expansion in the watershed and by the impacts of a major sewage spill into the river in January 2026.
This article includes a quote by Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller.
NPR
(April 20, 2026)
In the absence of meaningful legislation at the federal level, and with most states still developing regulations, local governments have found themselves grappling with the data center boom, said Julie Bolthouse, director of land use at the Piedmont Environmental Council, a Virginia-based conservation nonprofit that has been involved in the issue there.
This article quotes Piedmont Environmental Council Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse.
Bay Journal
(April 10, 2026)
With the arrival of spring, many freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay region will experience spikes in salt levels — coming mostly from the salt used to treat roads during winter, still working its way toward streams with spring rains.
Middleburg Life
(April 9, 2026)
The Orange County Hounds Conservation Foundation (OCHCF) invites the community to its safari experience on Saturday, May 16, 2026, hosted at Glenstone Farm. This one-of-a-kind event offers the opportunity to experience conservation in action, with a special cocktail reception and presentation the evening prior on Friday, May 15.
C-VILLE Weekly
(April 22, 2026)
Mid-April is peak time for migrating birds to cross the eastern seaboard, which is why DarkSky International selects the middle of the month each year for a week-long educational campaign to encourage ways to reduce light pollution. This month both the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council recognized April 13 through April 20 as Dark Sky Week.
The Daily Progress
(April 21, 2026)
or the first time since a pandemic-wounded Greyhound abandoned its route to Richmond, Charlottesvillians can again buy a bus ticket to the capital — and, for the first time ever, ride a scheduled, single-seat trip all the way to Virginia Beach.
Charlottesville Community Engagement
(April 21, 2026)
In this edition: the Charlottesville Board of Zoning Appeals has once again upheld a determination that a proposed seven-story building in Fifeville would qualify as student housing; Charlottesville’s delegation to a regional transportation planning body sought to eliminate two Smart Scale projects in Albemarle County at a meeting earlier this month; Charlottesville has advertised construction bids for Smart-Scale funded improvements at the intersection of Barracks and Emmet Street.
The Daily Progress
(April 20, 2026)
Charlottesville zoning officials have determined a planned apartment project on the northern edge of the city's Fifeville neighborhood qualifies as student housing. But they're still not sure where UVa Grounds is.
Information Charlottesville
(April 17, 2026)
The City of Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services is now reviewing land use applications under an updated set of rules approved by Council earlier this year. I wrote a story on those changes last week and now report that the Charlottesville Planning Commission got an update on April 14.
Information Charlottesville
(April 16, 2026)
For many years, two public bodies provided guidance to joint planning efforts between Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia. Anyone could attend meetings of either the Planning and Coordination Committee or its technical subcommittee. That all changed at the end of 2019 when both City Council and the Board of Supervisors agreed to terminate these in favor of a new Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee that is out of the reach of Virginia’s open meeting laws.
The Winchester Star
(April 22, 2026)
This year's Earth Day celebration in Clarke County will focus on promoting volunteer groups in the area as well as efforts to keep the county litter-free. The event, organized by the county's Litter Committee, will be held Saturday in the Ruritan Building at the Clarke County Fairgrounds, just west of Berryville. There is no cost to attend.
The Winchester Star
(April 22, 2026)
A Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) contractor's recent herbicide spraying along roadsides in northeastern Clarke County significantly damaged vegetation and possibly the environment, according to some of those who say they were impacted.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(April 21, 2026)
“The Board (of Supervisors) has heard the concerns voiced by the rural communities along the proposed route that would bear disproportionate visual, environmental, and economic harm... The Board also shares concerns regarding the potential use of eminent domain and possible health effects from ultra-high-voltage lines located near homes," according to a county release on Friday.
This article quotes the Piedmont Environmental Council.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(April 18, 2026)
A new mixed-use development is on the horizon at Braggs Corner in Culpeper. MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services is targeting a diverse array of uses for "Culpeper Corner" at the intersection of Bennett Road and Braggs Corner Road, near U.S. 29.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(April 14, 2026)
North Carolina-based Strata Solar last week pulled its application for a conditional use permit to build the 65 megawatt Maroon Solar project and substation in the Stevensburg District. The project, scaled down from the original in 2020, failed to receive planning commission support through the years through four CUP processes involving multiple meetings and work sessions, public hearings, deferrals and countless studies.
Middleburg Life
(April 20, 2026)
April in Loudoun and Fauquier counties arrives with budding trees, longer days, and a renewed appreciation for the land we call home. It’s no surprise, then, that Earth Day, officially April 22, has expanded, inspiring earth-friendly events all month long. From tree plantings and town cleanups to wildlife encounters and live music, this year’s Earth Day events offer something for everyone, whether you’re a hands-in-the-dirt environmentalist or simply looking for a fun way to spend a spring Saturday with family.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(April 21, 2026)
At the April 14 Greene County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board paused its session to join with planning commissioners to lay out the priorities for the remainder of 2026. Zoning and Planning Director Jim Frydl led the discussion, highlighting what he and his staff believe should be priorities for the year.
Loudoun Now
(April 22, 2026)
Loudoun supervisors last night approved design plans for a passive park at the former Westpark Golf Course in Leesburg. Those plans include an 18-hole disc golf course. The 134-acre former golf course is planned to include three miles of trails, two pavilions, two parking areas, and a restroom.
Washington Business Journal
(April 22, 2026)
An affiliate of Omaha energy company Tenaska has filed plans with Loudoun County to build a Battery Energy Storage System on 93 acres on Gulick Mill Road. Tenaska has the site, which is currently occupied by six single-family homes, under contract and is seeking a special exception and Planning Commission approval for the BESS facility, according to the filings.
Middleburg Life
(April 20, 2026)
April in Loudoun and Fauquier counties arrives with budding trees, longer days, and a renewed appreciation for the land we call home. It’s no surprise, then, that Earth Day, officially April 22, has expanded, inspiring earth-friendly events all month long. From tree plantings and town cleanups to wildlife encounters and live music, this year’s Earth Day events offer something for everyone, whether you’re a hands-in-the-dirt environmentalist or simply looking for a fun way to spend a spring Saturday with family.
Loudoun Now
(April 13, 2026)
Construction is beginning on a new link of Crosstrail Boulevard that will extend the four-lane collector road to the Dulles Greenway. The $122 million project is expected to be complete during the winter of 2028. The 2,700-foot road segment will have shared-use paths on both sides and a four-span bridge crossing of Sycolin Creek.
Middleburg Life
(April 9, 2026)
The Orange County Hounds Conservation Foundation (OCHCF) invites the community to its safari experience on Saturday, May 16, 2026, hosted at Glenstone Farm. This one-of-a-kind event offers the opportunity to experience conservation in action, with a special cocktail reception and presentation the evening prior on Friday, May 15.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(April 18, 2026)
The Orange County Board of Supervisors held a budget hearing Tuesday before moving on to their regular meeting where they approved resolutions opposing Valley Link’s Yeat to Joshua Falls 765-mV transmission line and discussed how to move forward with the changing definition of frontage in the subdivision ordinance.
Rappahannock News
(April 22, 2026)
With crowds expected to swell for this weekend’s SperryFest, a key section of the Sperryville River Trail has been closed — forcing hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors to walk onto a narrow stretch of Water Street typically used for vehicle traffic during the festival.
InsideNoVa
(April 20, 2026)
A Dumfries-area retirement community off Interstate 95 is withdrawing its support for a planned data center development on nearby properties. The move follows a split between the two landowners who were initially set to combine the sales of their properties adjacent to the sites.
The Daily Progress
(April 22, 2026)
The institute at 365 Roberts Mountain Road is seeking a special-use permit from the Nelson County Board of Supervisors for a new conference center to expand its offerings at the educational and research center dedicated to exploring human consciousness.
Virginia Mercury
(April 23, 2026)
Virginia lawmakers met Wednesday to weigh Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments to dozens of bills passed this year, reflecting both shared goals and differing views on some of the most consequential legislative proposals, despite Democratic control of both chambers and the governor’s mansion. Here’s how the process shook out, and details on what happens next.
Cardinal News
(April 22, 2026)
As Virginia looks for ways to balance our state budget, we must ensure that we are also helping families and small businesses balance theirs. Ending the temporary data center tax breaks now is the only solution that has been put forth to keep Virginia on a stable financial path for years to come.
The op-ed mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
WVTF
(April 21, 2026)
Experts say the state hasn’t seen the need for power grow this fast in decades. As Virginia’s energy needs continue to grow, the tension between Northern Virginia’s data center expansion and rural communities’ concerns isn’t going away. "There are huge trade-offs here. … But we should be having an intelligent discussion about it. We should be asking, are there ways of doing this that are better?"
The piece features Piedmont Environmental Council Senior Energy and Policy Analyst Michael Barber.
Virginia Mercury
(April 21, 2026)
While the majority of the commonwealth’s coal fired plants have been decommissioned or converted to natural gas plants, two plants still burn coal and are managed by Dominion Energy. Dominion recently petitioned the commission to allow for a 53 cent increase to monthly bills to cover the continued costs of managing the CCR clean up and water treatment for the ash ponds.
Whitescarver Natural Resources Management
(April 21, 2026)
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. I remember it well; I was 15 years old and a freshman in high school. The next year, Intel released the first commercially available microprocessor. These events created a wonderful sense of optimism about humanity’s ability to do great things–to save the planet, to solve complex problems. Now, 55 years later, that sense of optimism has been punctured. Instead of working to save the planet, humanity is on a campaign to destroy it.
This article mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
The Washington Post
(April 20, 2026)
The company failed to hit its annual job growth mark at its Crystal City campus in Arlington for the third year in a row, ending 2025 with 73 fewer new positions instead of adding the more than 1,600 new jobs projected for the year under its incentive agreement with the state of Virginia. Virginia state officials offered as much as $750 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies in exchange for Amazon building a campus that would house thousands of employees.
ABC 13 News
(April 20, 2026)
The Appomattox County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution stating that they are against the proposed Valley Link Transmission Line Project.
The Virginian-Pilot
(April 18, 2026)
Because more than half of Virginia’s electricity comes from fossil fuels (54% from natural gas and 4% from coal), the electricity produced by utility companies to power data centers creates a substantial amount of air pollution which...
WVTF
(April 17, 2026)
The entire state is now under either a drought watch or warning advisory from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. All Virginians are being asked to minimize their water usage and detect and repair any leaks.
ABC 13 News
(April 17, 2026)
As data centers draw both environmental concerns and the promise of major tax revenue across Virginia, Danville leaders are moving to set strict rules now in case a project is proposed in the future.
Politico
(April 22, 2026)
The push for a nationwide moratorium is gaining traction in some House primaries, putting Democrats at odds over energy and economic growth.
Grist
(April 22, 2026)
A miner haunts the East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, New York. It’s not the spirit of an interred workman, but Andrena regularis, also known as the regular miner bee.
Politico
(April 20, 2026)
Over the coming weeks, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hammer out the details of a proposal that could be a striking assertion of federal power to manage the nation’s rapidly rising electricity demand. Under a plan put forward by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, FERC would regulate the way America’s biggest electricity customers are brought onto the power grid.
