The Leesburg Gateway data center developer has proposed an amendment to the Town Plan that would allow for data center & warehouse development close to residential neighborhoods in the town gateway…
Data centers
2026 Data Center Reform Legislation
The outsized impacts of data centers in our communities will again make data center reform a priority for PEC and our partners in the Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition during this year’s Virginia General Assembly session.
Join Us at the State Capitol on Feb. 9 for Data Center Reform!
The Virginia Data Center Reform Coalition will once again host our Data Center Reform Lobby Day in Richmond, VA, providing a unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with your legislators and make your voice heard on critical data center issues impacting you and your community each day.
Golden to Mars Transmission Line Hearing Delayed, Comment Period Extended After Nearly 600 Sign Up to Testify
In September, we encouraged you to submit comments and sign up to testify at the SCC hearings in Loudoun County to voice your concerns and call for undergrounding the Golden to Mars line, and you rose to the challenge! Over 1,000 comments and nearly 600 witnesses signed up to testify.
Culpeper Update: Moving the Needle
In this quarterly Culpeper update, I share some ways we’ve helped to move the needle in a positive direction, as well as provide a few important opportunities to engage with our state elected officials during the 2026 legislative session.
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 have serious concerns that the proposed “floating zone” approach will cause land speculation across the county, industrialize agricultural areas, and allow developers to build data centers near parks, schools and homes.
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 only Virginia, but communities around the world.
General Assembly Snapshot: 2026
The Virginia General Assembly will convene for a 60-day session beginning Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. PEC staff have co-authored several briefing papers that form the framework of the Virginia Conservation Network’s legislative priorities. Below, we break down some of the key issues we are tracking in the upcoming session.
President’s Letter: Looking to the Future
One of the most difficult roles that PEC plays is as an organization that anticipates and plans for the future. Imaging scenarios — both positive and negative — is inherently subject to doubt and critique. PEC is unique in our nonpartisan, thoughtful and holistic approach to complex issues facing our communities. Bound only by our mission to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont while building stronger, more sustainable communities, we are simultaneously idealistic and pragmatic.
Data Center Reform Lobby Day
The Data Center Reform Coalition is excited to announce our 2026 Lobby Day slated for February 9, 2026. Together, we are urging state lawmakers to take action on the unchecked, exponential growth of data centers in Virginia.