General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly meets annually, beginning on the second Wednesday in January, for 60 days in even-numbered years and 30 days in odd-numbered years, with an option to extend annual sessions for a maximum of 30 days. Because the General Assembly moves very fast, PEC tracks a number of bills and provides comments throughout each session. Please sign up for our email alerts and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for the most recent updates.

Not sure who your state delegate and senator are? Visit Who’s My Legislator? to find out.

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Tracked Bills

Framework for Data Center Reform

More than 25 organizations across Virginia, including PEC, have formed the Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition to urge state lawmakers to study the cumulative effects of data center development across Virginia, and to institute several reforms for the industry. If the Virginia General Assembly fails to take action, unchecked data center expansion will have a disastrous impact on ratepayers, our communities and the environment.

Four pillars make up the framework of the Coalition’s advocacy for responsible action and robust reform. In 2025, several bills were introduced to the Virginia General Assembly thanks to direct legislative and community mobilization action from organizations like PEC and our partners. Read more about the Four Pillars and related data center legislation this General Assembly session in our post.

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Legislative Updates

Powering Progress Through Rooftop Solar

Powering Progress Through Rooftop Solar

Distributed rooftop solar has many benefits as we build out the clean energy needed to reach the 100% zero-carbon-emissions standard laid out in Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (VCEA) …
Deploying Utility-Scale Solar Responsibly

Deploying Utility-Scale Solar Responsibly

Utility-scale solar facilities are a key component of Virginia’s transition to a clean energy future. However, the Commonwealth must ensure that impacts on Virginia’s farms, forests, and streams are minimized …
Mitigating Data Center Development's Impacts

Mitigating Data Center Development’s Impacts

Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, widely cited as hosting 70% of global internet traffic. This massive industry is continuing to grow very fast, requiring huge amounts of energy, …
Connecting Wildlife Habitats

Connecting Wildlife Habitats

Wildlife must be able to move through our landscapes to acquire resources, find genetically diverse mates, and adapt to a changing climate. Roads, development, and other infrastructure can impede wildlife movement and create dangerous scenarios …
Investing in Virginia's Heritage and Future

Investing in Virginia’s Heritage and Future

Across Virginia’s coast, piedmont, and mountains, we have a wealth of natural and cultural resources that are closely tied to the state’s heritage and integral to its future. These resources are assets vital to the …
Working With Farmers to Protect Our Waterways

Working With Farmers to Protect Our Waterways

Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry by many metrics. It also represents the largest source of nutrient and sediment pollution reaching Virginia’s local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. Fortunately, addressing these pollution loads offers an …
Meet Ashish Kapoor, Senior Energy & Climate Policy Analyst

Meet Ashish Kapoor, Senior Energy & Climate Policy Analyst

Ashish Kapoor has joined the PEC staff to fill the important new role of Senior Energy & Climate Policy Analyst, and we sat down with him recently to learn more about how and why the …
Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit hits a milestone

Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit hits a milestone

In late April, at the Virginia Land Conservation and Greenways conference in Harrisonburg, Senator Hanger proudly announced the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land as a direct result of the LPTC …
aerial photo of data center with a residential neighborhood in the background. Overlaid text reads "Take Action: Tell DEQ to Protect Our Air Quality"

Take Action: The Air We Breathe Is at Risk

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is considering adopting a variance that would allow the data center industry to run backup diesel generators for longer and more frequent periods of time from March to …
2023 General Assembly Crossover Update

2023 General Assembly Crossover Update

This Tuesday marked the halfway point of Virginia’s 2023 General Assembly Session, a date known as ‘crossover.’ The House and Senate have each finished voting on the bills their members put forward, and now move …