Every day, Piedmont Environmental Council staff engage at the local, state and federal levels to shape public policy with an eye toward protecting and restoring the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont while building strong, more sustainable communities. The Virginia General Assembly serves as the main stage for these efforts.
Small-scale solar
On the Ground Updates – April 2026
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
The Piedmont Environmental Council Awarded $11,000 Grant to Bring Agrivoltaics to Low-income Urban Communities
PEC has received an $11,000 grant from the Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute to help launch an initiative to develop agrivoltaics projects for urban and low-income communities. Agrivoltaics combines food production with on-site clean energy generation on the same plot of land.
Why Dominion is Trying to Kill Small-Scale Solar – Webinar Recording
On Dec. 8, 2025, the Piedmont Environmental Council hosted and recorded a webinar on net metering – the fundamental billing structure that makes small-scale solar financially viable for homeowners, businesses and farmers – and Dominion Energy’s attempt to weaken it.
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.
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 and agriculture.
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.
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 report.
Videos: Agrivoltaics Project at PEC’s Community Farm
Explore our video updates detailing the exciting progress of the Piedmont Environmental Council’s agrivoltaics project, where solar energy and sustainable agriculture meet.
Report Finds Solar Far Exceeds Value Communicated by Dominion
PEC commissioned Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors to study and calculate the actual value of distributed solar generation in Dominion Energy’s territory.