Meaningful legislation toward a clean energy future for Virginia
We are pleased to share the great news that 12 solution-oriented energy bills PEC either authored, informed, or advocated for in the General Assembly were signed into law (pending two minor amendments) by Gov. Spanberger! …
Piedmont Environmental Council Statement on the Potomac River Being Named the Most Threatened River in America
This week, American Rivers released its 2026 list of most endangered rivers, and the Potomac River leads the list, due in large part to uncontrolled data center growth throughout the watershed …
The Piedmont Environmental Council Celebrates New Legislation Supporting Sustainable Energy
The Piedmont Environmental Council is delighted to announce that 12 solution-oriented energy bills that PEC either authored, informed, and advocated for have been adopted into Virginia law …
Bike Cville: Jump Starting Sustainable Momentum
This is the second in a series of blog posts reflecting on BikeCville’s eighth year. The previous post described the rides from the viewpoint of a participant. This post talks about why PEC started BikeCville …
Virginia Piedmont Protects 5,552 Acres in 2025
In 2025, landowners and conservation organizations in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s nine-county region conserved over 4,178 acres through conservation easements. The Conservation Fund’s purchase of Oak Hill in Loudoun County and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s …
In Major Win, Massive ‘Digital Gateway’ Data Center Project Has Been Halted
On March 31, the Virginia Court of Appeals issued a unanimous ruling that effectively halts the controversial “Digital Gateway” project proposed in Prince William County, barring an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court …
Shenandoah Borderlands project protects 5,000 acres for clean water, habitat, scenic viewshed
Shenandoah National Park is one of Virginia’s most beloved and visited outdoor spaces, attracting 1.7 million visitors in 2025. It’s also a global conservation priority for biodiversity protection and climate resiliency. For these reasons, The …
Hilton Farm: A Key Piece of the Conservation Puzzle in the Rappahannock-Rapidan Watershed
You know that feeling when you’re putting together a puzzle and there’s that “Aha!” moment, when filling in one missing piece brings everything together? Hilton Farm in Orange County is an example of this phenomenon …
15,000 Reasons to Celebrate: Plantings, Partnerships and Protecting Water
After compiling the data for 2025’s spring and fall plantings, I sat staring at my screen. Could that be right? Did we actually plant 15,000 trees last year? …
Meet the Team: Conservation
At the heart of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s efforts to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont is our dedicated conservation team. You’ve likely met some of our conservation staff somewhere …
