Piedmont Environmental Council

Virginia is undergoing an unprecedented economic, technological, and environmental transformation, all centered around the activities of one industry: data centers. 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. Utilities are legally obligated to serve these data centers, no matter how much energy they require or the impact to the transmission grid. Virginia ratepayers are currently subsidizing this buildout for some of the largest and wealthiest companies in the world – which is patently unfair. Now is the time to demand accountability and transparency. Urge your elected officials to support meaningful reform and oversight of the data center industry. Learn more and take action at https://lnkd.in/epTqTxeM #datacenters #ai #artificialintelligence #virginia #loudoun #northernvirginia #environment #climatechange #climatejustice #cloudcomputing

🧑💻 Hundreds of #datacenters across Virginia are straining the electrical grid and our natural resources. In 2024, PEC continued its leadership in tackling unchecked data center sprawl. We’ve engaged in 20 data center applications, and mobilized community members alongside us, to prevent costs from falling on the general public. Land Use Director Julie Bolthouse has been featured in international news networks as data center concerns rise 🎬 Although data centers are a part of our digital future, PEC is committed to institute regulatory and rate-payer industry reforms that protect our land, drinking water, and air quality. Community activism led to a major win for Culpeper County. After a passionate call to action from Sarah Parmelee, Culpeper Land Use Representative, community residents banded together to oppose a data center development in a neighborhood known as Clevenger’s Corner. Thanks to Sarah’s mobilization, data centers can no longer be built in Clevenger’s Corner – ever! 👏 Living near loud, polluting data centers can cause a variety of mental and physical health problems, so “this is kind of a big deal,” says Sarah. PEC’s active role in keeping Virginia rural is made possible through donations from our generous members. To make a year-end, tax deductible contribution, visit pecva.org/give 🤍 #PEC2024ByTheNumbers 📸 Culpeper Land Use Representative Sarah Parmelee presenting on the issue of data centers at the Culpeper County Library in May 2024. Photo by Hugh Kenny/PEC.

📝 Food businesses: your input is needed to address food accessibility in schools! The Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission is conducting a survey of local farmers, aggregators and processors as part of a farm to school gap analysis. As a producer of local food, they are asking for your help in collecting basic information regarding your business's capacity, challenges and needs, whether or not you are selling to schools. Take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/g6F4u-wG The deadline to respond is December 20th. For further information, contact Michelle Edwards at medwards@rrregion.org. Local school districts in the region have also been surveyed. The results of the school and producer surveys will be compared to identify issues in farm to school programs as well as potential solutions. Additionally, your responses will be used to develop a farmer/producer directory for local schools, if you choose to opt-in. Ultimately, their goal is to increase schools' local food procurement--a win-win for our region's kids and producers. This effort has been made possible with funding from the US Department of Agriculture's Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, and is being conducted in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Carver Food Enterprise Center.

Big Tech, made up of the wealthiest companies in the world, is taking advantage of a system that forces Virginians to subsidize the cost of energy infrastructure needed to power their data centers. Unless something changes, unchecked data center growth will continue to cost ratepayers, our communities, and the environment. Direct Cost to Ratepayers & Taxpayers: Dominion Energy expects energy demand to double by 2039, almost entirely driven by data centers. But the industry isn’t being held accountable for the financial burdens it creates. Instead, #Virginia ratepayers—families, schools and small businesses across the state—can expect to see energy bills double to subsidize the billions of $$ in electrical infrastructure costs. Continued Reliance on Fossil Fuels: Dominion Energy says it will not be able to meet data center energy demand without keeping coal on the grid and expanding natural gas facilities. Data centers are also increasingly utilizing onsite gas and diesel-based power sources. New & Expanded Transmission Lines: Utilities say they are legally obligated to serve data centers, no matter how much power is requested or where the data center is located. New and expanded transmission line rights-of-ways have cut through conserved lands, parks, and neighborhoods. Water Usage & Runoff: A data center can consume millions of gallons of water a day depending on its cooling system. The buildings also cover large acreages with impervious surfaces, leading to increased stormwater runoff into local waterways sourced for drinking water. Local Impacts to Communities: Localities continue to approve the siting of data centers adjacent to parks, residential neighborhoods, schools, and medical facilities — bringing noise pollution, diesel generators, and other potential impacts with them. PEC is advocating for a smarter development approach, including state oversight with clear and consistent processes, transparency at all steps in the process and a deep understanding of the long-term impacts of both the siting and operation of data centers. Learn more at pecva.org/datacenters. *Dominion Projections Source: https://bit.ly/irp-10-24

🌳Interested in planting native #trees on your property in the new year? The Plantings for the Piedmont program provides free resources to support you in your reforestation projects. In 2025 and 2026, these programs are offering assistance to not only plant but maintain your new trees become established. Maintaining healthy riparian buffers, the vegetation alongside a body of water, provide many benefits that make our communities a better place to live, including: 🚰 improving #waterquality, by filtering runoff from land uses, 🌿 providing shade that cools the stream, 🌊 slowing flood water, 🐇 providing habitat for a variety of birds and small mammals, 🎣 and creating a great place for recreational activities such as #fishing, hiking, and bird watching. Together with our partner Friends Of The Rappahannock, we have reforested almost 100 acres across the Virginia Piedmont over the years, on properties just like your own. Learn more and fill out the interest form at https://lnkd.in/gqfNDfVP to support land restoration in your river’s watershed ❣️

From all of us at Piedmont Environmental Council, THANK YOU to everyone who donated this #GivingTuesday and helped us meet our $40,000 match! Your generosity and commitment sustains our work in the Virginia Piedmont 💚 Each gift helps PEC advance land and water conservation efforts and build strong, sustainable communities. If you have yet to give, you can still make a tax-deductible donation in 2024 at pecva.org/give before the year comes to a close on Dec. 31. Your support is critical as we continue advocating for environmental and conservation outcomes across our nine counties 🦅🪿🦨 🐝

It is critical that the tech industry pay the full cost of new energy infrastructure and not rely on average ratepayers to subsidize the unconstrained use of electricity. As important, government agencies need to protect communities and natural resources from the impacts of the dramatics expansion of energy generation and infrastructure.

It’s #GivingTuesday , a global day of generosity to push for real, positive change in our communities. We hope you’ll consider making a donation to PEC to support conservation in the Virginia Piedmont. 🌅 When you donate to PEC today, your gift will be doubled as part of a special dollar-for-dollar $40,000 match. Your gift helps us shape a bright future for our region – cleaner air and water, more conserved lands, a healthier climate, well-connected communities, better protected historic and cultural resources, smarter land use outcomes, and stronger environmental policy at every level we work. Visit pecva.org/givingtuesday or give us a call at 540.347.2334 ext. 7005 to help us reach this critical goal.  Thanks for making a difference locally! 🫶🪴

Tomorrow, Tuesday Dec. 3, is #GivingTuesday, a global day to support the causes you care about. When you make a gift to PEC, you are giving back to the lands, waters and communities of the Virginia Piedmont. PEC has worked with individuals like you to make positive changes in our communities and to conserve, protect, and restore the Piedmont. Your support is critical as we work to accelerate the rate of conservation and rise up to unprecedented challenges regarding the region’s energy and land use. Thanks to a generous dollar-for-dollar match, your gift has twice the impact through midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at pecva.org/givingtuesday

PEC President Christopher Miller recently penned an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about the energy “crisis by contract” created by Dominion Energy and the data center industry. Until the General Assembly, the State Corporation Commission and the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation provide more oversight and demand transparency, Virginia ratepayers — including families, schools, health care systems, farms and small businesses — will be subsidizing the richest companies in the world.