Loudoun County

PEC stands with citizens to build excellent communities, relieve taxes and traffic, and protect open space in Loudoun. We work to maintain a balance between the towns and villages, the suburbs, and the country so residents can enjoy all the places that make Loudoun unique.

Piedmont Environmental Council Statement on Department of Environmental Quality Variance Withdrawal

Piedmont Environmental Council Statement on Department of Environmental Quality Variance Withdrawal

The Virginia Department of Environmental Equality’s withdrawal of its proposed variance that would have allowed data centers to circumvent Virginia’s air pollution control regulations limiting the use of heavily polluting, industrial sized, emergency diesel generators …
data center presentation title slide

PEC Presentation on Data Centers & Potential Reliance on Backup Diesel Generators

On March 28, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a local information session in Loudoun County about a variance being proposed by The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to allow Loudoun data centers to use …
2022 Land Conservation Totals

2022 Land Conservation Totals

Last year, landowners partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and other land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect 6,651 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange and Rappahannock counties …
aerial image of forested land next to a major road

On the Ground Updates – March 2023

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
Update on DEQ’s air quality variance for data centers

Update on DEQ’s air quality variance for data centers

The variance would allow backup diesel generators to run more frequently this coming summer …
data center web map screenshot

Data Centers, Diesel Generators and Air Quality – PEC Web Map

PEC requested the air permits for all of the approximately hundred data center facilities covered under the proposed DEQ variance, including the number of commercial generators per facility. We determined that there are 4,632 commercial …
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 …
Spring 2023 Tree Planting Opportunities

Spring 2023 Tree Planting Opportunities

We are so excited for our four volunteer tree plantings this spring in Clarke, Culpeper Orange and Rappahannock counties during March and April …
aerial photo of data center with a residential neighborhood in the background. Overlaid text reads "Take Action: Tell DEQ to Protect Our Air Quality"

Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Air Quality in Jeopardy

The VA Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking comment on an order that will temporarily allow data centers in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties to operate their generators for longer and more frequent …
Nine-county land conservation totals 6,651 acres in 2022

Nine-county land conservation totals 6,651 acres in 2022

Last year, landowners partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and other land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect 6,651 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange and Rappahannock counties …