The Piedmont Environmental Council hosts advocacy campaigns on a variety of local, state and (sometimes) federal issues. We also let local residents know about planning processes and other opportunities to weigh in. Find out about these campaigns through email alerts and social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). If you haven’t already signed up, you can sign up for email alerts today! We also have a resource to help you look up your elected officials.
Current Campaigns
Share your concerns with the Orange Planning Commission on the Draft Technology Zoning Ordinance
Orange County is about to take a significant step intended to accommodate — and minimize the adverse impacts of — data center developers interested in Orange County. The Planning Commission is poised to recommend a draft ordinance establishing a Technology zoning district and is seeking public input. In this proposal, Orange County is considering many of the right questions. However, the county must also consider some significant unintended consequences of a well-intentioned proposal. Learn more and submit comments.
Additional Transmission Lines Proposed to Serve Data Centers
To accommodate escalating growth pressure from data centers, PJM put out a request for transmission proposals (called RTEP 2025 Window 1) and received 134 submissions. From those, two were selected that would directly impact PEC’s region. Depending on which proposal(s) PJM chooses, it would potentially add numerous 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines, an HVDC line, and multiple 765 kV lines. This is in addition to the two regional transmission expansion plans PJM has already approved (2022 Window 3 and 2024 Window 1). The proposal(s) PJM ultimately chooses will have significant impacts on the areas those transmission lines would traverse, including near residential neighborhoods and community resources like parks, trails and historic sites, as well as large areas of conserved lands. Learn more and submit comments.
Take Action: Demand Accountability From Virginia’s Data Center Industry
Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world. This massive industry is continuing to grow extremely fast, requiring huge amounts of energy, land, and water to operate, resulting in widespread community impacts. Yet, the Commonwealth does not currently have any regulatory oversight of data center development. This explosive growth of data centers threatens to derail state efforts to meet climate goals, improve air and water quality, advance land conservation, and protect national and state parks. Learn more and use our letter to ask your elected officials in Virginia’s House and Senate for data center industry and utility reform.
Tell the Fauquier Board of Supervisors to Vote “No” on the Gigaland Data Center Proposal!
The proposed data center campus known as “Gigaland,” on 200 acres on Lucky Hill Road in Remington, VA, would include seven data center buildings with an additional square footage of over 2.2 million square feet, or roughly the equivalent of 12 Walmart Supercenters. We are concerned that approval of Gigaland would pave the way for more data centers and transmission lines in Fauquier. Learn more and submit comments.
Support More Data Center Regulation in Culpeper!
The current zoning in Culpeper County considers data centers as “by-right” on both light and heavy industrial zoned lands, allowing data development without any public input or approval by the Board of Supervisors. New proposed zoning amendments would change that, requiring data center developers to obtain a conditional use permit. Learn more and submit comments.
Tell the State Corporation Commission (SCC): Protect Ratepayers From Big Tech’s Skyrocketing Energy Bill
This summer, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) is hearing the 2025 biennial review of Dominion Energy’s rates, terms, and conditions for generation and transmission infrastructure. Learn more and submit comments.
Take Action Albemarle County: Make the Free Bridge Lane Promenade Permanent
The community has enjoyed and benefited from temporarily closing Free Bridge Lane to cars — a flat, calm place, close to town to walk, bike and easily enjoy the outdoors. Add your name to this petition to make Free Bridge Lane a permanent park and to see other creative park spaces in the county!
Take Action: Help Make Oak Hill Virginia’s Newest State Park!
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an expansive new state park in Loudoun County, a proposed park that will protect a National Historic Landmark and offer easy access to the outdoors for millions of visitors to and residents of Northern Virginia. Send a letter to your state legislators in support of this amendment before the General Assembly reconvenes April 2.
Take Action: Demand Accountability From Virginia’s Data Center Industry
Virginia is undergoing a massive economic, technological, and environmental transformation, all centered around the activities of one industry: data centers. Please use this letter to ask your elected officials in Virginia’s House and Senate for data center industry and utility reform during the 2024 General Assembly session and beyond.
Take Action Albemarle County: Support Funding for Better Connectivity and Access to the Outdoors
This petition is a message to Albemarle County’s Board of Supervisors that residents want to see more robust funding for trails, greenways, sidewalks and other infrastructure that allows community members to move about in ways that are safe, healthy and sustainable. As so many projects and people are interlinked between Charlottesville and Albemarle County, it’s important to see broad support from both elected bodies.
Take Action Charlottesville: Support Funding for Better Connectivity and Access to the Outdoors
This petition is a message to the City of Charlottesville City Council that residents want to see more robust funding for trails, greenways, sidewalks and other infrastructure that allows community members to move about in ways that are safe, healthy and sustainable. As so many projects and people are interlinked between Charlottesville and Albemarle County, it’s important to see broad support from both elected bodies.
Tell DOE: No Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor
Action is urgently needed on a newly proposed and highly impactful federal transmission designation that would overstep state authority for transmission siting. Please submit comments to the Department of Energy and your representatives in Congress by June 24, 2024.
Take Action: Ask Congress to Support the AI Environmental Impacts Act
The U.S. is falling behind in regulating the data centers powering artificial intelligence. Ask Congress to support the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Environmental Impacts Act to protect our communities and our environment.
Take Action: Equitable Access to Biscuit Run Park
The Piedmont Environmental Council is working with Albemarle County, Habitat for Humanity and other community partners to accelerate a new entrance to Biscuit Run Park near Hickory Street in Albemarle County, just outside Charlottesville. The bridge and trail, which will cross Biscuit Run on the park’s western side, will also eventually connect to Fifth Street Station and downtown Charlottesville. But, we need your help.
Metal mining in Virginia risks public and environmental health
Gold mining historically occurred throughout Virginia in the gold-pyrite belt, including substantial operations across the PEC region in Orange, Culpeper and Fauquier counties. Now, half a century since metals were last mined commercially, the threat has resurfaced. PEC is currently working with a coalition of organizations to pass comprehensive statewide legislation at the Virginia General Assembly to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our communities.
Loudoun Petition: HOA Residents for Sustainable Landscaping
More than 60% of Loudoun residents are part of an HOA. Join with friends, neighbors and community members in showing support for sustainable landscaping practices at HOAs across Loudoun County.
Charlottesville/Albemarle Petition
This petition is a simple way to show elected officials in Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville that residents want better, more connected, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.