Explore our video updates detailing the exciting progress of the Piedmont Environmental Council’s agrivoltaics project, where solar energy and sustainable agriculture meet.
Solar
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.
Why is Dominion trying to kill rooftop solar?
These days, it’s always refreshing to find things that most folks agree on. Solar on rooftops, parking lots and brownfields, along with smaller-scale agrivoltaics (combining agriculture and solar production on the same land), get pretty widespread support in the world of renewable energy and climate efforts. But Dominion Energy wants to undermine the economic viability of these popular energy solutions in Virginia by slashing the value of their most critical element: net metering.
Solarize Virginia Webinar Series
Solarize Virginia 2025 runs from April 15 through July 15! This free informative webinar will discuss the benefits of solar, how our solar campaign works, and how we as a community can come together for a brighter future.
The 2025 Virginia General Assembly is in Session.
An overview of the topics that PEC has its eye on this session: data center reform, land conservation and public access, solar implementation, housing and local land use authority
Better Solar through HB206
A transition to renewable energy is imperative for our planet, and the good news is that Virginia has taken a major step in that direction with the ambitious Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) passed in 2020. The VCEA requires that Dominion Energy build 16.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind energy in the public interest by 2035 and operate with 100% renewable energy by 2045. Recent studies by the University of Virginia tell us we are well on our way. However, a history of poorly designed solar projects in Virginia have made it clear that utility-scale solar can have significant hidden costs if not done well.
Shining a Light on Agrivoltaics at Roundabout Meadows
This spring, the Piedmont Environmental Council will unveil a project at our Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows with the potential to revolutionize the relationship between the agricultural lands that make up the heart of the Virginia Piedmont and the need for more solar energy capacity across the Commonwealth.
General Assembly Snapshot: 2025
The General Assembly convenes on Jan. 8 for a planned “short session” that runs through Feb. 22. PEC has co-authored several white papers that form the framework of the Virginia Conservation Network’s legislative priorities.
On The Ground Updates – September 2024
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Act Now to Support Common Sense Planning for Solar in Orange County
On Sept. 10, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider a zoning ordinance to ban any solar facility that produces power primarily for off-site users. This extreme approach is contrary to good planning practice, doesn’t allow for a balancing of community needs, and bolsters efforts at the General Assembly to initiate the drastic step of taking away local authority on solar siting.