PEC is working to support an energy system that is smarter, more efficient and better accounts for the negative externalities arising from the choices we make about energy consumption, generation, transmission and distribution.
We are advocating for a more distributed system that is less reliant on distant generating sources and incorporates a mix of local renewable power — customer owned, community based and utility scale. Recognizing Virginia is in the early stages of its energy transition, we believe now is the time to reimagine and rebuild our energy system in a way that is just and fair to all residents and ratepayers.
Data Centers & Energy Demand
Virginia is undergoing a massive economic, technological, and environmental transformation, all centered around the activities of one industry: data centers …
How Agrivoltaics Can Help Solve Virginia’s Energy Crisis
Virginia needs energy solutions that work with communities, not against them. Agrivoltaics does exactly that—it gives farmers additional revenue to …
In the Driver’s Seat on Parking Lot Solar
Since Virginia is still at the beginning of its energy transition, now is the perfect time to rebuild our energy …
Orange County Residents: Demand Commonsense Data Center Regulation
This coming Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Board of Supervisors is likely to vote on a proposed zoning ordinance that does not go far enough to protect the residents and natural resources of the county. We …
The PEC Leadership Felt ‘Round the World
Finally, the world is hearing the alarm that The Piedmont Environmental Council has been sounding for years: that the unconstrained and unregulated explosion of the data center industry is forever changing the face of not …
The friendliest type of energy generation: a conversation on agrivoltaics
PEC’s Senior Energy & Climate Advisor Ashish Kapoor and Community Farm Manager Teddy Pitsiokos sat down to tell us more about PEC’s groundbreaking agrivoltaics project, which has the potential to revolutionize the conversation around solar …
Dominion Energy’s Proposed Changes to “Net Metering” Would Undercut Small-Scale Solar
In May 2025, Dominion Energy petitioned the State Corporation Commission to cut the net metering credit by nearly half. Unfortunately, this proposed change will severely undermine the practicality of rooftop solar and critically hamper increased distributed energy generation and …
Orange County Proposes New “Technology” Zoning District
The Orange County Planning Commission is poised to recommend a draft ordinance establishing a Technology zoning district intended to accommodate – and minimize the adverse impacts of – data centers. The county is considering many of …
Additional Transmission Lines Proposed to Serve Data Centers
There is another opportunity right now to share your input on an important issue impacting our region. We hope you will take a few minutes before Monday, Dec. 8 to voice your concerns and opinions …
Proposed Increase to Data Center Diesel Generator Use
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is currently accepting comments on a proposed change that would allow data centers to run backup diesel generators during planned outage events. Until now, these generators could only …
The Fight to Stop Dominion’s Attack on Small-Scale Solar – Webinar Recording
On October 21, Solar United Neighbors hosted a webinar on Dominion Energy’s proposal to severely limit net metering. PEC’s Senior Energy & Climate Policy Advisor, Ashish Kapoor, shared findings from our new Value of Solar …
Fauquier Fall Updates 2025
We’ll touch on VDOT’s proposed I-66 bridge expansion at historic and iconic Thoroughfare Gap, the transition point into the rural Piedmont, at the beloved Chapman-Beverley Mill. Then, very impactful to all of us, we’ll talk about …
Op-Ed: Protect Virginians from paying billions for data center infrastructure
Billions of dollars of new power generation and transmission infrastructure is needed to meet data center demand. As of now, all of Virginia’s ratepayers are on the hook to pay for this through their electric …
