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.
Photo by Christina Eagleson |
Yellow on yellow. |
Submit a Photo
29 News
(May 21, 2026)
Burner tells 29News her main concerns are the potential health impacts on her two young children, as well as declining property value. “We just bought this farm - we’re still trying to build equity in the place,” Burner said. “It’s hard enough to get into farming as it is, but then to have something like this that comes in and basically destroys anything that you’ve already built...You can’t simply start over.”
This article features an interview with Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller.
29 News
(May 20, 2026)
A proposed $1 billion transmission line project route, which would span roughly 115 miles of land throughout Central Virginia, has been named to Preservation Virginia’s 2026 list of most endangered historic places.
The designation identifies the multiple counties that would be impacted by Valley Link’s Joshua Falls-Yeat Transmission Line project as one of 10 that are experiencing “the increasing pressure of new development on historic communities and the ongoing impacts of the data center industry.”
This article stems from a press conference The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted with several partner organizations and quotes PEC President Chris Miller. Read our full press release here.
Data Center Knowledge
(May 19, 2026)
In revised permitting guidance published late last year, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said the traditional “limited operating hours” basis for exempting emergency data center generators from stricter emissions controls “is no longer appropriate.”
The Wall Street Journal
(May 19, 2026)
Booed commencement speakers, blocked data centers, plummeting poll numbers: Fast-growing industry has a faster-growing crisis. In one poll after another in recent weeks, respondents have overwhelmingly voiced concerns about AI, a challenge to claims by industry executives that their technology would gain popularity by improving people’s lives.
Virginia Mercury
(May 18, 2026)
The bald eagle became a national symbol in 1782, appearing on the U.S. seal and government documents. Virginia lawmakers, conservationists and wildlife experts are working to protect the species’ future, as the nation prepares to mark its semiquincentennial this summer. Wildlife experts say the nation’s symbol has rebounded dramatically, but human-related threats remain a challenge.
Inside Climate News
(May 18, 2026)
The $67 billion deal combines NextEra’s size and reach with Dominion’s positioning as the local utility for the world’s largest concentration of data centers in northern Virginia. But the results are likely bad for consumers and the environment, creating a company with enormous financial and political strength that will be difficult to effectively regulate, according to consumer advocates and analysts.
MSN
(May 17, 2026)
Along with wineries, equestrian farms and George Washington's estate, Virginia's known for being the data center capital of the country, with at least 665 facilities servicing major companies including Google, Amazon, Oracle and Meta (1).
This article references a Piedmont Environmental Council-commissioned study on the potential air pollution impacts of data centers that produce onsite energy.
Quartz
(May 15, 2026)
Virginia data centers generate just one permanent job for every $13 million invested, according to a January 2026 analysis by Food & Water Watch, based on Virginia Economic Development Partnership data dating back to 1990. In contrast, it costs $137,000 to create one job outside of the data center sector, about 100 times less investment. The disparity sits at the center of an accelerating national debate over what communities should expect when a hyperscale facility lands in their county.
American Farmland Trust
(May 7, 2026)
One Virginia farmer, Dustin Watson, faced this reality head‑on. His cattle operation, Long Acre Farm, nearly slipped away because of succession complications and development pressure... Today, with the conservation easement in place, Long Acre Farm is protected for agricultural use forever—a lasting commitment that ensures the land will continue to support farming for generations to come.
This article highlights Long Acre Farm, a project The Piedmont Environmental Council worked on with American Farmland Trust to conserve a family farm in Greene County.
NPR
(May 21, 2026)
University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy has calculated that if Americans reduced their lawns by half and added native plant gardens to feed birds, butterflies and other wildlife, this would create more habitat than Yellowstone and a dozen other major national parks combined.
Bay Journal
(May 21, 2026)
The drought that has plagued much of the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed during the first half of this year is causing strains to drinking water supplies, hurting crop output and leaving many rafters and boaters high and dry. But there’s an upside.
Virginia Mercury
(May 20, 2026)
The 765 kilovolt line would be the largest in Dominion’s operational portfolio, able to carry 6,600 megawatts of power from Joshua Falls in Campbell County into Northern Virginia, where energy-intensive data centers are clustered. The transmission line is intended to be “on and off ramps” for additional lines to bring power on and off the route.
This article in part reflects a press conference held by The Piedmont Environmental Council and several partners, announcing Preservation Virginia's 2026 list of Most Endangered Historic Places. Read our press release from that event here .
The New York Times
(May 19, 2026)
But who reaps those rewards from this deal, which values Dominion at more than $120 billion including its debt, is a big question. Even before the war in Iran sent fuel prices soaring, anger was building about the rising costs of energy, especially for electricity. Residential electric rates are up around 34 percent since 2020. At least some of that increase can be linked to the rapid growth of data centers used to develop artificial intelligence.
CBS 19 News
(May 19, 2026)
A meeting was held Tuesday morning opposing the Valley Link transmission power line project. Preservation Virginia, one of the largest groups at that meeting, releases a list of threatened historic sites each year. One of them is in the path of the project, which would stretch a 115-mile, 765-kilovolt powerline from Campbell County to Culpeper County.
E&E News
(May 15, 2026)
Power prices in the nation’s largest grid market jumped almost 76 percent in the first quarter year-over-year, showcasing how energy demand driven by data centers is remaking the economy across the mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
Information Charlottesville
(May 22, 2026)
According to Duncan and state code, localities designate rental inspection districts based on certain criteria. A locality can either hire its own inspectors or contract out to a third-party.
Information Charlottesville
(May 21, 2026)
For those who love everything on two wheels, there are still two and a half more weeks of Charlottesville Bike Month. That includes City Councilor Natalie Oschrin. “If everyone checks bikecville.com you’ll see a calendar of events,” Oschrin said. “A Bingo card that you can fill out for different activities.”
Information Charlottesville
(May 21, 2026)
In April 2022, Charlottesville was still under a zoning code approved in 2003. City Council voted that month to approve a rezoning on about 12 acres of land at the end of Stribling Avenue for 170 residential units. At the time, Southern Development agreed to contribute $2.9 million toward upgrades to the roadway to support pedestrian traffic.
C-VILLE Weekly
(May 20, 2026)
Perhaps one reason that planning is not very popular is the sheer amount of jargon required to understand the rules of what can be built and where. On May 12, the Planning Commission reviewed some of the potential alterations and pondered whether to change usage of the phrase “by-right,” which is used to describe a project that can be built without approval from the Board of Supervisors. Senior Planner Lea Brumfield said this can cause confusion when businesses are ready to locate in a new place.
C-VILLE Weekly
(May 20, 2026)
Charlottesville’s Rose Hill neighborhood is the second-least-populous neighborhood in the city, according to a fact sheet produced by Neighborhood Development Services, but that might change if a proposed apartment building at 601 Albemarle St. makes it through the city’s review process.
Radio IQ
(May 20, 2026)
This summer, Charlottesville marks the 50th anniversary of its Downtown Mal— inviting people from all over the state to celebrate. Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall is closed to traffic but open to musicians, jugglers and other performers. Each week, thousands of people stroll the eight blocks of brick paving, past 150 shops and restaurants in historic buildings. Once the city’s Main Street, the mall is again the center of civic life.
Information Charlottesville
(May 17, 2026)
Since 2018, property owners in Albemarle County have not had the opportunity to request an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan to change the designation of their land in the Future Land Use Map.
The final paragraph of the implementation chapter section of Albemarle’s new Comprehensive Plan suggested the county consider a change.
Information Charlottesville
(May 17, 2026)
Charlottesville City Council adopted a new Development Code in December 2023 that changed the rules for how buildings go through the planning process. This February, Council agreed to updates that made further alterations.
This was accompanied by an update of the city’s development manual. Some projects no longer require a “development plan” and can go straight through to the site plan process.
Information Charlottesville
(May 16, 2026)
In Virginia, local governments adopt visionary documents called Comprehensive Plans which set out the general tone for what elected officials want to happen in a community. For instance, Charlottesville City Council’s most recent plan adopted in November 2021 called for changes to the city’s zoning to allow for more residential development.
Information Charlottesville
(May 16, 2026)
The City of Charlottesville has recently launched a new community engagement portal intended to be a place for people to learn about and provide feedback on matters of public policy. One of the current items on offer is the chance to comment on the city’s next Urban Forest Management Plan.
Information Charlottesville
(May 16, 2026)
During the first two years of the zoning code’s implementation, landowners and developers seeking to take advantage of additional development rights would file either a Major Development Plan or a Minor Development Plan.
The updated code and its updated manual indicate that development review is required for new construction, additions, site modifications, and for some changes in use.
The Winchester Star
(May 21, 2026)
In mid-April, residents reported that vegetation on private property as well as along public rights of way was either heavily damaged or destroyed by a VDOT contractor's herbicide spraying. Among the affected plants were blooming Virginia Bluebells for which the rural area is well-known.
ABC 7 News
(May 20, 2026)
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors hosted Dominion Energy for a presentation on the Valley Link high-voltage transmission line project that would impact nine counties. The project would impact thousands of homeowners, farmland, and rural landscape.
Fauquier Now
(May 21, 2026)
The Warrenton Planning Commission Tuesday deferred its decision on a proposed zoning ordinance change that would make life easier for prospective hotels in the town's business district, opting to wait until at least the commission’s June 16 meeting.
Fauquier Times
(May 19, 2026)
The Remington Technology Park, a data center complex approved in 2018 but not yet under construction, could generate as much as $70 million a year in local tax revenue at full build-out — more than Fauquier County currently collects from all existing businesses combined. Still, tax revenue generated from data centers can be hard to quantify. It depends on a lot of factors that can be hard to predict, including the facility’s end-user and how quickly a project comes to fruition. Data center complexes are built over time, depending on demand.
Fauquier Times
(May 19, 2026)
Fauquier County residents on public water and sewerlines could see their monthly fees increase by 9%, or about $13 a month, under a proposed rate hike that would take effect Oct. 1. The Fauquier County Water and Sewage Authority board has approved higher rates every year since 2022, when it adopted a five-year plan to pay for updates to the county’s water and wastewater infrastructure. But with new water quality regulations looming, the utility is asking to raise those rates even higher.
Fauquier Times
(May 13, 2026)
Mary Root, a longtime Remington-area resident responsible for much of the town’s written history, alongside town and county officials, set up booths across the Remington Volunteer Fire Department’s banquet hall Saturday afternoon at an open house meant to engage the community in the town’s ongoing process of overhauling its comprehensive plan — a guiding document outlining general goals for the future that every Virginia municipality is required to have.
This article mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Fauquier Times
(May 13, 2026)
Only a month after approving an application for a new traffic circle, the Warrenton Town Council reconsidered the decision Tuesday — then voted 5-2 to approve it all over again. Council members had previously voted 6-1 to apply for a Smart Scale grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation, which could pay to replace an aging traffic light with a traffic circle at Shirley Avenue and Culpeper Street.
Loudoun Now
(May 21, 2026)
Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors voted to change the name of Dulles South Community Park to Lightridge Park during their May 19 business meeting. The name change aims to reflect nearby community features, such as Lightridge Farm Road and Lightridge High School.
Loudoun Now
(May 20, 2026)
Plans by Dominion Energy to build a new electrical substation outside of Leesburg seemed finalized Tuesday night after Loudoun supervisors approved an application for the structure during a late-night business meeting. But minutes later, the board reconsidered the vote and a motion to deny the application tied, leaving the substation’s future uncertain. County Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large) said she feels like Dominion is not working to meet the county halfway with many of their proposals.
Loudoun Now
(May 20, 2026)
A years-long effort to designate George C. Marshall’s Leesburg home as an affiliated area of the National Park Service cleared the House of Representatives with a unanimous vote of support Tuesday.
Loudoun Now
(May 19, 2026)
Historically, electric substations in Loudoun County have been approved without a lot of discussion, generally recognized as a necessary, although unsightly, piece of the region’s infrastructure. But lately, proposals for new substations—even ones adjacent to existing stations —have been met with objections from the Board of Supervisors.
This article mentions The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Loudoun Now
(May 18, 2026)
After years of work by Aldie residents and numerous bureaucratic hurdles, the restoration of the brick wall lining the shoulder of Rt. 50 was celebrated Saturday. Through that work, the structure is now included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Broadband Breakfast
(May 15, 2026)
Virginia’s Loudon County, the largest data center market in the world, has become the focal point of the backlash against AI-driven deployment, panelists demonstrated during a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Wednesday.
Loudoun Now
(May 15, 2026)
The Goose Creek Association has joined Loudoun Now Voice with the launch of The Green Loudoun Podcast, a new monthly series focused on the real-world impact of conservation, land use, and environmental stewardship in Loudoun County.
The Rapidan Register
(May 18, 2026)
On Tuesday, District 5 Supervisor and board chair Bryan Nicol said all three of Orange County’s representatives have agreed to join the county in a joint letter of opposition regarding the Joshua Falls-Yeat Transmission Project. The project is one of three proposed by joint venture Valley Link and approved by regional transmission organization PJM Interconnection.
The Rapidan Register
(May 11, 2026)
A planned public housing development, known as the Madison Road Supportive Housing Project, will move forward in Orange County. It consists of creating a multi-story, 21-unit planned public housing development in the Town of Orange on property currently occupied by the long defunct Sheltering Arms Homeless Shelter and a community services building on Madison Road, near the Dogwood Village entrance.
Rappahannock News
(May 18, 2026)
The changing Sperryville landscape and ongoing uncertainties are part of a sweeping generational change within Sperryville’s dominant landholding family, with decision-making shifting from 85-year-old Cliff Miller to his children and nephews, all of whom live outside the county. The Snyder-Kramer plan to purchase the acreage on Route 211 directly across from the Sperryville Schoolhouse, brought relief to many in the community, since the couple doesn’t envision any new structures, but only to protect their present viewshed.
InsideNoVa
(May 21, 2026)
The ongoing PW Digital Gateway appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court stemming from data center developer QTS is facing a drawn-out timeline that could stretch into May or June 2027. Separate legal challenges from the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and the American Battlefield Trust are heading to Richmond before the commonwealth’s high court.
Prince William Times
(May 20, 2026)
For years, Prince William’s growing data center footprint has been centered in Manassas, Gainesville and Bristow. But now that’s changing. Three new proposals could bring the giant facilities closer to Woodbridge and Dumfries.
Bristow Beat
(May 16, 2026)
Join the Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA) for a virtual conversation exploring how smart growth, walkable communities, and better regional planning can help protect rural landscapes and reduce pressure for sprawl development. This program is part of PWCA’s ongoing series highlighting our 3Rs: Reaching Our Potential vision for a more sustainable future in Prince William County.
This event features Stewart Schwartz of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an arm of The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
(May 21, 2026)
Although data centers underpin the global digital economy, their impacts are highly localized. Disparate health outcomes from air pollution, a drying Potomac, and intense noise pollution are among the many consequences falling disproportionately on hotspots like Northern Virginia, where development is outpacing infrastructure capacity and regulatory oversight.
ARL Now
(May 19, 2026)
The Virginia Supreme Court has agreed to review the lawsuit over Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning change, moving one step closer to resolving the complicated but consequential case.
The Winchester Star
(May 18, 2026)
As gardens begin producing fresh vegetables and summer harvest season approaches, many families are preparing for home food preservation. Before canning season begins, Virginia Cooperative Extension will offer free dial-gauge pressure canner testing throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley during the first week of June. Annual gauge testing is an important food safety step for anyone using a dial-gauge pressure canner, the release states.
Rappahannock News
(May 18, 2026)
Visitors to Shenandoah National Park (SNP) are being reminded to take extra precautions in bear country this spring and early summer as black bear activity increases across national parks. The National Park Service in a Friday press release said spring and early summer are periods of increased bear activity in many parks as bears move through habitat, search for food and protect cubs.
The Winchester Star
(May 14, 2026)
The Frederick County Board of Supervisors told residents at its Wednesday night meeting that it's listening to their concerns regarding data centers. No data center-related topics were on the agenda, but several members of the public spoke out on the issue. The county is currently reviewing proposals for two data center campuses — one in Kernstown, the other in Clear Brook — that will go before the supervisors for a vote in the coming months.
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
(May 16, 2026)
The companies are seeking amendments to add 34.9 acres to the site and rearrange the data center layout, moving one facility closer to U.S. 1. The companies bought the property after the supervisors approved the campus. The planning commission and several speakers during the public hearing questioned whether noise studies adequately addressed potential issues. Setbacks related to the new data center location were also among the issues for some on the commission and during public comments.
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
(May 15, 2026)
After working through some confusion and new information, the Stafford County Planning Commission recommended approval of proffer changes for a data center project. An occupancy permit was recently issued for the first data center on the site, with the facility using an average of 20,000 gallons of water daily, according to county staff. The applicant, Amazon, now wants to amend the proffer agreements with the county to allow construction of the second data center before the new water re-use system is operational.
Virginia Mercury
(May 20, 2026)
Flush with success after the SCC ignored legal deficiencies and approved the company’s plan for a large gas peaker plant in Chesterfield, Dominion Energy is pushing its luck with a proposal for a massively bigger gas combined-cycle plant.
The Virginian-Pilot
(May 20, 2026)
A proposed ordinance that would encourage data centers in some areas has drawn the concern of the King William County’s Indian tribes... Allyson Gray, a council member of the Pamunkey tribe, told the board on April 27 that the tribe was opposed to the ordinance. Among the worries, the tribe is worried about impacts that data centers could have on the Pamunkey River, she said.
VPM
(May 20, 2026)
A series of new laws hitting the books this summer seek to rein in invasive plant species in Virginia. The measures make new opportunities for localities to collaborate on invasive control, set new requirements on the state Department of Transportation's management of plants on highways and close a loophole on how plants are prohibited from sale in the commonwealth.
NBC Washington
(May 19, 2026)
Virginia's Democratic majority is at a state budget impasse, and if a deal isn't struck by the end of June, the commonwealth could see its first-ever partial state government shutdown. When Virginia first offered the exemption in 2008, the deal was good through 2035. At the time, lawmakers estimated the commonwealth was waiving about $1.5 million in tax revenue each year. Now, it's nearly $2 billion per year.
Cardinal News
(May 19, 2026)
Danville and Pittsylvania officials signed off on an AI data center project at the Berry Hill megasite that would be one of the largest industrial announcements in the U.S. — if the state does not end the data center tax exemption next year. This exemption is set to expire in 2035, but a proposal to end it early, in 2027, has been a hot topic in the General Assembly. The House and Senate are diametrically opposed on this issue, and their disagreement has held up the General Assembly’s approval of a budget.
Axios
(May 19, 2026)
Google's proposed western Chesterfield data center campus could disturb wetlands, streams and possible unmarked graves, according to newly released federal permit filings. Why it matters: The documents offer one of the clearest looks yet at "Project Loch," which is part of Google's broader $9 billion expansion in Virginia.
Virginia Mercury
(May 18, 2026)
Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy are proposing a merger to create the largest regulated electric utility in the country, hosting about 110 gigawatts of power combined.
If approvals from the slate of regulatory agencies are secured, it will mean the two companies would provide power to roughly 10 million customers across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
WVTF
(May 18, 2026)
In its press release, NextEra Energy says a merger with Dominion will create the world’s largest regulated electric utility with 10 million customers – promising to operate more efficiently and get price breaks on fuel, passing savings on to consumers. In Richmond, Roben Farzad, who produces the business podcast Full Disclosure, is skeptical. He says NextEra wants in on the data center boom that has been hugely profitable for Dominion, and they’re probably hoping for strong support from the Trump administration.
Prince William Times
(May 18, 2026)
Public officials and advocacy groups are worried about a proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy — which would make Virginians customers of the largest power utility in the world. The deal, though formalized by both companies, cannot move forward until it gets the green light from federal energy regulators and utility regulators in the states where Dominion operates, which include Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. That could take 12 to 18 months.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(May 17, 2026)
The showdown occurs as the public appears to be turning against data centers for a variety of reasons — their size, noise, water use and, above all, their demand for electricity to cool banks of computer servers that play an increasingly vital role in the digital economy, national security, healthcare and entertainment. The Washington Post recently published a new Gallup Survey that showed seven of 10 Americans were opposed to data centers in their communities.
The New York Times
(May 17, 2026)
NextEra Energy, one of the largest power companies in the United States, on Monday announced plans to acquire Dominion Energy, in an all-stock deal that could transform the power industry as it races to supply electricity needed to fuel the booming growth of artificial intelligence.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(May 16, 2026)
Hidden along wooded trails, behind churches and inside centuries-old cemeteries, the graves of Revolutionary War veterans, scattered across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, help preserve the stories of frontier patriots who helped shape the nation’s founding.
Cardinal News
(May 15, 2026)
Appalachian Power will hold an open house next month to provide information about electric grid upgrades designed to accommodate Google’s data center project in Botetourt County, among other goals.
The open house will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. June 3 at Read Mountain Middle School, 182 Orchard Hill Drive in Cloverdale. No formal presentation is planned; attendees are encouraged to come and go any time during the event.
Virginia Mercury
(May 15, 2026)
This week, the state’s Board of Housing and Community Development advanced a proposal to allow single stairways in four-story buildings, setting it up for potential adoption in the next state code requirements. Housing reform advocates and homebuilders say it can help solve housing shortage while emergency personnel caution safety.
Farmville Herald
(May 14, 2026)
The Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to join a coalition in fighting the proposed Joshua Falls to Yeat Electric Transmission Line Project, which would have giant towers marching through the county.
Virginia Business
(April 29, 2026)
Developers of a data center campus proposed for a site adjacent to the Lonesome Pine Airport in Wise County hope to sidestep that problem by generating power on-site. The project could be powered with a novel energy source: hydrogen.
Virginia Mercury
(May 22, 2026)
As utility costs surge and the proposed Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy merger could mean a change in energy policies, U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, this week proposed two bills to heighten electricity rates transparency. Another Virginia congressional representative, U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, pitched a measure to strategically protect data centers and surrounding communities from attacks by international adversaries.
Washington Business Journal
(May 20, 2026)
While the artificial intelligence sector hasn’t yet delivered Earth-shattering efficiency en masse to its customers, it is delivering a seismic impact upstream with its insatiable appetite for computational power. The sharp increase in demand from data centers is straining the U.S. skilled trade labor ecosystem, and it’s weighing on the companies carrying out data center projects.
Loudoun Now
(May 19, 2026)
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) has introduced a bill aimed at addressing security concerns surrounding data centers, which he says could be targets for U.S. adversaries.
The Data Center Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act requires that a federal strategy be developed to defend data centers from both physical threats and cyber threats.
Knowledge Problem
(May 19, 2026)
Most of us experience electricity as a subscription service. We move in, call the utility, set up an account, and expect the electrons to arrive. The power system is one of the great coordination achievements of modern life precisely because, for most of us, it disappears into the background. When it works, we do not notice it. When it fails, we notice nothing else.
Utility Dive
(May 19, 2026)
“The projected level of generation outages coupled with the forecasted demand raises a significant risk of emergency conditions that could jeopardize electric reliability and public safety,” PJM said. The curtailments would be a last resort before ordering rolling blackouts, according to the DOE’s order, issued under the Federal Power Act’s section 202(c). Only large energy consumers with backup generation would be affected.
The Washington Post
(May 18, 2026)
Idaho, one of the most sparsely populated states, is known for its vast stretches of open land. And yet a new Idaho law has imposed the country’s smallest minimum lot size requirements for houses. “We love our wide open spaces,” said Sen. Ben Toews, a Republican who led the bipartisan legislation. “Having smaller communities actually allows more wide open spaces, because suburban sprawl is a real issue. You’re seeing our farmlands get eaten up by houses.”
Newsweek
(May 16, 2026)
Leland said any boost to values is more likely tied to tax revenue than homeowner enthusiasm for living near server farms. Data centers generate significant property taxes without placing equivalent pressure on schools or other services, potentially giving local governments more room to invest. But he warned the effects can distort land markets.
Join us on Saturday, May 30 for our Annual Gathering at Longwood Farm, featuring Marion Werkheiser!
