On June 10, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted our annual meeting in Loudoun County and featured a workshop on data centers and Virginia’s clean energy future. The presentation, given by PEC’s Senior Energy and Climate Policy Analyst Ashish Kapoor and Director of Land Use Julie Bolthouse, is available to view and download below.
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.
Meet Ashish Kapoor, Senior Energy & Climate Policy Analyst
Ashish Kapoor has joined the PEC staff to fill the important new role of Senior Energy & Climate Policy Analyst, and we sat down with him recently to learn more about how and why the transformation of our energy system is so important.
Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit hits a milestone
In late April, at the Virginia Land Conservation and Greenways conference in Harrisonburg, Senator Hanger proudly announced the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land as a direct result of the LPTC.
Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announces 1 million acres conserved since Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit went into effect, highlights importance of land conservation moving forward
Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC) has led to the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land in Virginia, Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announced today in Harrisonburg at the Virginia Land and Greenways Conference sponsored by Virginia’s United Land Trusts.
Questions Swirl Around Data Centers – How Many, Where and at What Cost?
Although DEQ’s proposed variance for data center diesel generator has been pulled, the underlying issue remains: Is this continued boom in data center development sustainable?
PEC Presentation on Data Centers & Potential Reliance on Backup Diesel Generators
On March 28, 2023, The Piedmont Environmental Council hosted a local information session in Loudoun County about a variance being proposed by The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to allow Loudoun data centers to use their backup diesel generators more frequently during the coming summer.
2022 Land Conservation Totals
Last year, landowners partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and other land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect 6,651 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange and Rappahannock counties.
Update on DEQ’s air quality variance for data centers
The variance would allow backup diesel generators to run more frequently this coming summer.
March 23: Public Hearing on Wilderness Crossing
It is critically important that County decisionmakers hear from you before they vote on this impactful proposal.
Data Centers, Diesel Generators and Air Quality – PEC Web Map
PEC requested the air permits for all of the approximately hundred data center facilities covered under the proposed DEQ variance, including the number of commercial generators per facility. We determined that there are 4,632 commercial diesel generators in total and that these generators have a total capacity of 11.1 gigawatts of power. Our web map displays the data centers locations, as well as nearby schools, nursing homes and low income communities.