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.
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Culpeper Star-Exponent
(March 20, 2026)
Virginia Tourism Corporation last week announced the new region, Virginia Piedmont, expanding its regional tourism structure from 10 to 11 regions, according to a release. The Virginia Piedmont also includes the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange and Rappahannock, according to the release.
VPM
(March 19, 2026)
After years of attempts to pass reforms on local permitting of utility-scale solar projects — which were dramatically rejected by the Legislature last year as part of a more comprehensive bill — Virginia Democrats have delivered a proposal to the desk of the governor, now occupied by fellow Democrat Abigail Spanberger.
Bay Journal
(March 19, 2026)
Constituents trekked through ice to reach the capitol, lawmakers argued about turtles and advocates rallied for clean energy in Richmond during Virginia’s latest legislative session. Most environmental bills lost teeth as they passed through the legislative process. But, overall, a new set of policies will help expand solar generation in Virginia, set the stage to regulate emerging toxins and provide some transparency from the data center industry.
This article quotes PEC's Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse.
National Parks Conservation Association
(March 19, 2026)
A new report, "A Smarter Path Forward: Safeguarding National Parks Amid Explosive AI and Data Center Growth," warns the cumulative impacts of the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure on land, water, and energy, along with the enormous physical footprints data centers , put the more than 70 national parks across the region in jeopardy.
10 News
(March 19, 2026)
Virginia lawmakers left Richmond without passing the state’s budget because lawmakers are at a standstill over whether data centers should receive tax breaks.
Virginia Mercury
(March 17, 2026)
The rapid growth of Virginia’s data center industry was a key point of focus during the 2026 legislative session, as lawmakers sought to balance the sector’s benefits — including over $80 billion in state investments and thousands of jobs — against its enormous electricity and water needs, which are a growing concern for communities statewide.
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(March 15, 2026)
The General Assembly approved a pilot program for burying high-voltage tranmission lines on March 14, the same day the legislative session in Richmond ended. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kannan Srinivasan and Del. JJ Singh, D-Loudoun. A news release from both lawmakers said the program comes in response to rising power demand in Virginia, which the state's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission says is driven largely by data centers.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
(March 14, 2026)
Our community’s awful experience with noise and air pollution from on-site power generation at a nearby data center in Sterling should serve as a cautionary tale for Virginia and the rest of the nation.
The New York Times
(March 12, 2026)
In the next two decades, the owners of roughly 300 million acres of American farm and ranch land are expected to retire or die. How and to whom this land is transferred will determine the future of rural America and our food system.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(March 16, 2026)
March is a major transition month in Virginia. As temperatures consistently rise above freezing and spring rains begin, several species emerge from their winter “sleep.” Depending on the animal, it might be true hibernation (bears, groundhogs, and chipmunks), brumation (reptiles) or torpor (bats).
Byrd Street
(March 15, 2026)
For this episode of the Byrdcast, I interviewed Don McCown of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) about the controversial high-voltage line proposed by Valley Link Transmission—a partnership of Dominion Energy, Transource and FirstEnergy Transmission—that would run 115 miles across central Virginia and cut a wide swath through Orange County.
This article is a conversation with Piedmont Environmental Council Land Use Field Representative Don McCown.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(March 13, 2026)
Whether yearning for a grand outdoor oasis or simply a few vegetable plants for the patio, the journey to your dream garden begins with baby steps.
“Start small, and build on your successes,” emphasized Ed Olsen, Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener director and consumer horticulture specialist.
Information Charlottesville
(March 19, 2026)
On March 9, staff in the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services granted approval of a key milestone for the Charlottesville Housing and Redevelopment Authority’s next big project — a two-phase reimagining of Westhaven with a total of 264 units on an existing 10 acre footprint.
C-VILLE Weekly
(March 18, 2026)
The Albemarle Planning Commission has recommended approval of a request from Great Eastern Management Company to allow more townhomes at its North Pointe development near the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport. The Board of Supervisors originally rezoned the 269-acre property in 2006 to allow up to 893 residential units and more than 837,000 square feet of commercial space.
C-VILLE Weekly
(March 18, 2026)
As Charlottesville’s zoning code continues its third year of implementation, the new rules face many challenges, some of which will go through the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
On March 19, the quasi-judicial body will take up the definition of student housing as it relates to a proposed seven-story apartment building on Seventh Street SW.
Information Charlottesville
(March 16, 2026)
To understand how decisions are made in Albemarle County, you have to know something about the Comprehensive Plan and you have to know something about the zoning code and how it may be changing. Such an education is a key component of Charlottesville Community Engagement. In October, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopted an update to the Comprehensive Plan that staff called AC44. Review had begun four years earlier. Both a second and a third phase are currently underway and will be the subject of various work sessions throughout the year.
C-VILLE Weekly
(March 11, 2026)
The Albemarle county board of Supervisors had been expected to approve $3.5 million in funding for affordable housing projects at its meeting on March 4, but held off due to concerns over how staff generated recommendations of what to fund.
C-VILLE Weekly
(March 4, 2026)
Many public hearings for land use changes in Albemarle County are well-attended by nearby residents concerned about the impact of new development on their properties. Already in 2026, decisions on two rezoning requests have been deferred after the planning commission was persuaded by arguments from neighbors.
The Winchester Star
(March 11, 2026)
Public safety concerns are behind recommended changes to rules for special events and demonstrations held in Berryville. Events and demonstrations attended by more than 250 people put pressure on police being able to control traffic and provide emergency response, according to Deputy Town Manager Jean Petti. Town Council will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Berryville-Clarke County Goverment Center on Chalmers Court.
Culpeper Star-Exponent
(March 14, 2026)
Third time was not a charm and neither was the fourth time the county planning commission recommended denial of a request from Strata Solar to build a utility scale solar project in Stevensburg.
This story quotes PEC Culpeper Land Use Field Representative Sarah Parmelee.
Fauquier Now
(March 19, 2026)
The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a design public hearing from 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 25 to present plans and receive feedback on the proposed roundabout at Route 28 (Catlett Road) and Route 853 (Station Drive/Bengu Gerek Avenue) in Bealeton.
Fauquier Times
(March 18, 2026)
Cars kept arriving even after the sun set — their headlights spotlighting the occasional amphibian bold enough to attempt to cross Beverly’s Mill Drive. Conservation assistants gently nudged the spring peepers, wood frogs and one toad to the side, allowing visitors to park their cars and leave them behind.
Fauquier Times
(March 17, 2026)
Warrenton is a step closer to getting its own community garden, now that the Warrenton Town Council has agreed to lease land to the Master Gardeners of Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties. The decision followed a presentation March 10, where master gardeners Michael Beidler and Sally Semple, wife of Vice Mayor Bill Semple, presented a plan to build a community garden on the eastern side of the Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility, or the WARF.
Fauquier Times
(March 13, 2026)
As legislators fight over how to regulate data centers, Fauquier County’s elected officials have a message for Richmond: kill the state’s sales tax break for data centers.
Fauquier Now
(March 12, 2026)
The town of Warrenton has received a $500,000 offer to buy 18 Court St. – the old Town Hall – from developers who want to transform the Warren Green building into a hotel building. The town has opened this webpage for resident comments .
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(March 19, 2026)
A committee of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors made its final round of recommendations on western Loudoun land use changes on March 18, wrapping up well over a year of work.
Now, it'll be up to the full nine-member board to decide the direction the county will take with rural zoning amendments.
Loudoun Now
(March 18, 2026)
The 90-minute public comment during last night’s Board of Supervisors meeting was taken up primarily by eastern Loudoun residents hoping for support in their efforts to block overhead transmission lines planned by Dominion Energy.
The Golden to Mars project is one of several power line projects planned to loop through eastern Loudoun to ensure the regional grid stays reliable as the demand for power increases.
Loudoun Now
(March 17, 2026)
With legislation that could pave the way for Virginia’s first underground 500-kilovolt transmission lines, Loudoun County residents are expected to attend tonight’s Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for support for a pilot project in their neighborhood.
Loudoun Now
(March 17, 2026)
Efforts to battle against the spotted lanternfly and its devastating impact on Loudoun’s agriculture community and the environment are continuing with the county’s third annual Scrape for the Grape campaign. This year the event will be bigger than ever, stretching across three weekends beginning this Saturday.
Loudoun Now
(March 13, 2026)
After being surprised by the sale of George Washington University’s 120-acre Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn to Amazon Data Services, county leaders are looking toward the future of that property. The county’s economic development czar said the government is prepared to fight to keep data centers off that land.
Loudoun Now
(March 11, 2026)
The Leesburg Town Council narrowly voted to approve the $5.75 million purchase of Rock Spring Farm, intending to use it as parkland. The 13-acre farm and historic manor home along West Loudoun Street just blocks from the downtown core has been owned by members of the diZerega family since 1899. It was the hope of Dr. Jack Cook, following the death of his wife Agnes “Di” diZerega Cook, that the property would become a town park.
The Rapidan Register
(March 18, 2026)
Earlier this month, the commission voted to recommend approval of removing data centers as a by-right use in all zoning districts and adding language to the data center definition. The recommendation comes months after the supervisors approved a new technology zoning district.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(March 18, 2026)
On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Orange County Board of Supervisors will host a joint meeting with the Orange County Planning Commission. As part of this meeting, representatives for the Valley Link Joshua Falls to Yeat Transmission Line have been invited to present information about the proposed project. To accommodate expected interest and attendance, the meeting will be held at the field house rather than the usual location at the Public Safety Building.
The Piedmont Journal Recorder
(March 13, 2026)
When Orange County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, most of the time was devoted to discussing the hottest topic in central Virginia right now, the proposed Valley Link 765 kV Transmission Line project. Depending on the exact location of the transmission lines it is expected to impact between 600 and 700 property owners as the utility company clears a 200-foot swath through farm fields and forests.
InsideNoVa
(March 18, 2026)
Manassas National Battlefield Park on Tuesday was included on a national list of “America’s most endangered public lands in 2026” in light of the threat posed by the sprawling PW Digital Gateway data center project. The fate of PW Digital Gateway currently rests in the Virginia Court of Appeals, where a ruling is pending related to two legal challenges against the project.
Fauquier Times
(March 17, 2026)
In a move that could put controversial data center projects in Bristow on hold, the Prince William County Planning Commission slammed the brakes Wednesday on a large new electrical substation slated to fuel new and existing data centers near Devlin and Linton Hall roads.
InsideNoVa
(March 17, 2026)
Plans for an electric substation that would have sustained the Hunter Property data center campus in Bristow were derailed March 11 when the Prince William County Planning Commission denied the public facilities review for the project. The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, or NOVEC, was the applicant behind the facility – known as the "Diamond Hill substation."
FFX Now
(March 19, 2026)
Rebuffing concerns raised by residents on both environmental and transparency grounds, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved the sale of 41.7 acres of county-owned land in Chantilly for development as a data center. Without making any comments, the supervisors voted 9-0 on Tuesday (March 17) to sell part of the police department’s training facility at 3721 Stonecroft Blvd to Starwood Capital Group under the name SCG Capital Holdings LLC.
Charlottesville Tomorrow
(March 19, 2026)
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors gave Tenaska’s proposed natural gas-fired power plant a green light at its March 18 meeting. The meeting stretched from 6 p.m. into the early hours of March 19 and was filled with comments from community members arguing for and against the new plant. The Board’s decision comes after the county Planning Commission’s ruling that the plant was not in “substantial accord” with Fluvanna’s Comprehensive Plan for its future, as well as the Commission’s recommendation that the Board deny Tenaska a special use permit.
Virginia Mercury
(March 19, 2026)
A major new 765 kV transmission line project — called Valley Link — aimed at meeting Virginia’s growing energy demands is moving forward, as regional grid operator PJM has approved plans for a 115-mile high-voltage power line stretching from Lynchburg to Culpeper County.
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
(March 15, 2026)
hile a proposed electrical transmission line may impact only a small portion of western Spotsylvania County, the Board of Supervisors still expressed angst about the roughly 115-mile, 765-kilovolt line. At Tuesday’s meeting, the board considered adding a letter opposing the proposal to the consent agenda. The board decided to rework the letter and vote on it later.
The Daily Progress
(March 20, 2026)
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has announced the beginning of the 100th anniversary of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation as the agency commemorates a century of stewardship, conservation and public service to the commonwealth.
WHRO
(March 20, 2026)
Lots of legislation that made it through this year’s General Assembly session touches on environmental issues. Virginia is the second U.S. state to approve “balcony solar.” Other bills will protect workers from heat exhaustion and better manage energy demand. Gov. Abigail Spanberger still needs to sign all approved bills by April 13 for them to become laws.
Virginia Mercury
(March 17, 2026)
The bills represented a flurry of efforts to address housing issues including affordability, supply, renter protections, and state input on local zoning decisions. Although every idea didn’t make it across the finish line, the 2026 legislative session marked significant strides in housing policy at the state level.
WDBJ
(March 16, 2026)
“The majority of it is going to be coming through Google to the county to the water authority,” Scothorn said. “Let’s say Botetourt County has 600,000 gallons they use on a daily basis. Google, let’s say, they use 2 million gallons a day. They’re going to be paying for the majority of that water.”
The Virginian-Pilot
(March 16, 2026)
The General Assembly passed legislation Saturday that would make it easier for faith communities to turn under-utilized property into affordable housing in an effort sometimes called “Yes in God’s Backyard.” The legislation would require localities to allow property tax-exempt nonprofits, including religious organizations, to build multi-family, affordable housing on their land without requiring rezoning, assuming localities don’t have existing regulations to the contrary.
CBS 19 News
(March 16, 2026)
Virginia lawmakers adjourned the 2026 General Assembly session without adopting a final state budget. The impasse sets up a likely return to Richmond later this spring and prompted criticism from Republicans, who said Democratic leadership failed to produce a finalized spending plan before adjournment.
FFX Now
(March 13, 2026)
Data centers present both opportunities and challenges, and at a recent regional meeting, local leaders were urged to become acquainted with both, regardless of whether their jurisdictions are directly impacted.
NPR
(March 13, 2026)
At first glance, the house parked on a muddy lot along a residential street not far from City Hall looks like it has been ripped apart right down the middle. But the opposite is happening. A construction team is pushing together two halves of a brand-new factory-built house in the middle of this neighborhood of small single-family homes.
Arizona Capitol Times
(March 12, 2026)
Virginia is illustrating for data center critics in other states how difficult it is to build enough political support to impose restraints on an established industry...But the chances of substantive legislation passing dimmed due to the industry’s intense opposition, said Chris Miller... “Essentially, the leadership of the Democratic Party does not want to move forward with meaningful reform,” Miller said
This article quotes Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller.
The Winchester Star
(March 12, 2026)
In the late 1800s, a foreign fungus arrived in North America, leading to the demise of a once-great native tree species that scientists are continuously trying to revive with no apparent success. Such is the tragedy of the American chestnut tree, ravaged by disease and subsequent logging that has made redemption efforts all the more difficult.
NBC News
(March 11, 2026)
Nearly two decades ago, Virginia gave tech companies a tax break on equipment and software, and they began to build. The state became a data center hub, and they kept building. Residents bemoaned the noise while they built some more. Artificial intelligence boomed, and the power grid strained — still, more building.
Now, amid a growing national pushback on data centers, Virginia senators have voted to end a projected $1.6 billion annual tax break, requiring the industry to resume paying a minimum 5.3% sales tax.
The Wall Street Journal
(March 12, 2026)
“Data center developers have said they want to pay their fair share, but the question is, what does fair mean?” said Timothy Fox, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners. “Cost allocation for transmission has always been a very complex and difficult question. It’s an imperfect science.”
The Atlantic
(March 12, 2026)
...I gave up counting data centers within minutes, unable to tell where one facility ended and the next one began. Bolthouse helps run a coalition aiming to slow data-center development throughout Virginia, but in Loudoun, it is too late.
This article mentions PEC Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse.
