Regional, State and National

PEC joins with partner organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground corridor and Northern Virginia counties.

Putting the Pieces Together on Digital Gateway

Posted on November 1, 2023December 7, 2023 by Julie Bolthouse

Since 2021, PEC has been supporting our partners’ heroic efforts to stop the largest data center campus in the world from being built on rural land next to Manassas National Battlefield Park, along Pageland Lane in Prince William County, Virginia.

The proposal, dubbed “Digital Gateway,” is massive and is projected to require around 3 gigawatts (GW) of energy. For context, that’s equivalent to the power used by 750,000 homes – roughly 5 times the number of households currently in Prince William County!

PEC Presentation on Energy Infrastructure and Data Centers (Upperville)

Posted on October 24, 2023November 28, 2023 by Bri West

On Oct. 23, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a community meeting in Upperville, Va. on data centers and associated energy infrastructure.

2024 General Assembly: Building Bipartisan Support for Conservation

Posted on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 by Chris Miller

Updates on the conversations taking place in Richmond and a few of the ways PEC is working to support conservation efforts statewide.

Data Centers, Surging Power Demand Take Center Stage

Posted on September 28, 2023October 13, 2023 by Julie Bolthouse

The size, scale, and speed at which applications for data center projects are coming in and being approved is astounding.

Just this month, massive proposals moved forward in Culpeper, Louisa, and King George counties, with more being reviewed in Caroline and Stafford counties. Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, and Fauquier counties all have multiple active proposals for hyperscale data centers, which can demand hundreds of megawatts of power per campus. As an example, the data center campus just approved in King George County could total more than 1,200 MW alone.

The Environmental Footprint of the Digital Age

Posted on September 25, 2023January 2, 2024 by Julie Bolthouse

Virginia is subsidizing billions of dollars in data center development on the backs of its ratepayers, without a full understanding of the long-term ramifications.

Initial Transmission Proposals – PEC Web Map

Posted on September 21, 2023May 20, 2024 by Julie Bolthouse

Transmission line proposals to serve the explosive growth of data centers in Virginia over the past few years have begun to roll in.

Case Study in Breaking Ground: An Affordable Housing Resource Guide for Land Trusts

Posted on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 by Sophia Chapin

PEC’s take on the intersection between affordable housing and land conservation.

Expanding Access to Community Solar

Posted on August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 by Ashish Kapoor

Community solar is an affordable renewable energy option for residents who cannot secure rooftop solar due to logistical constraints.

Powering Progress Through Rooftop Solar

Posted on August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 by Ashish Kapoor

Distributed rooftop solar has many benefits as we build out the clean energy needed to reach the 100% zero-carbon-emissions standard laid out in Virginia’s Clean Economy Act (VCEA).

Deploying Utility-Scale Solar Responsibly

Posted on August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 by Ashish Kapoor

Utility-scale solar facilities are a key component of Virginia’s transition to a clean energy future. However, the Commonwealth must ensure that impacts on Virginia’s farms, forests, and streams are minimized.