Virginia Environmental News
A new $250 million utility scale battery energy storage system is coming to Rockingham County. It will be the largest in the entire PJM, the wholesale electricity market that includes Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and portions of other states.
Virginia has one chance to critically assess NextEra Energy’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy. Regulators and policymakers should take a hard look at NextEra’s spotty record in Florida. It’s a test of putting people above monopoly power.
Governor Spanberger and Virginia legislators have passed the buck on serious data center reforms. It appears that they are willing to capitulate entirely to the data center industry. This is in the face of a recent Virginia League of Conservation Voters poll showing that 72% of us believe the data center industry needs more regulation and oversight.
Virginia data centers are currently connected to 10,500 diesel backup generators, which can harm public health even if they’re used relatively rarely.
MSolar Manufacturing is investing $23.8 million to develop a large solar manufacturing facility in Shenandoah County. It will create 150 jobs in the region.
The new Virginia law HB 711, on solar permitting, prohibits local jurisdictions from making blanket prohibitions as they did in the past. They now need to allow a special use permit hearing and they can still deny projects that do not satisfy the applicable standards. All such decision must be explained to the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Dominion Energy is seeking a rate increase commensurate with costs due to Virginia rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Some lawmakers are now proposing that the revenue the state collects should be used as customer rebates rather than using the money to fund energy-efficiency for low-income households and flood-preparedness programs.
Amid a data center boom in Virginia, Microsoft is backpedaling on a key climate promise to meet 100% of its energy consumption with zero-carbon electricity by 2030.
Dominion Energy is building a pilot state-mandated virtual power plant — a decentralized network that aggregates energy savings for customers or output of devices such as electric vehicle chargers, appliances, and smart thermostats.
The Afton Express received two awards in recognition of the commuter route’s environmental impact. It supported 23,725 passenger trips in 2025 and eliminated about 260 metric tons of tailpipe emissions as compared to people driving alone.
Our Climate Crisis
On June 23, France experienced its hottest day every recorded. This follows an intense heatwave that swept across western Europe in May. Europe has been warming faster than any other continent. Heat waves are increasingly intense and happening earlier in the year.
A day of extreme heat in June is associated with an estimated 3,400 excess deaths across India, while a heatwave lasting five consecutive days could lead to nearly 30,000 additional deaths. Temperatures have remained above 113 degrees Fahrenheit across parts of the country.
Extreme weather from an expected super El Niño combined with high fuel and fertilizer prices triggered by the war with Iran could cause severe food shortages around the world and spark a hunger crisis for more than 100 million people.
Due to drought, a historically low snowpack, and a depleted aquifer, Iowa farmers and communities are forced to reduce their water consumption by up to 33%.
Politics and Policy
EVs have taken off in Ethiopia. A key to that shift is a world-first ban on importing fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Globally, a record-breaking 28% of new cars sold this year will be EVs.
Seven states are suing the Trump administration over its deal with TotalEnergies, in which the company gave up its two offshore wind leases in exchange for $1 billon and a pledge to redirect the money to fossil-fuel investments. In addition, the Trump administration is paying companies $765 million to cancel four more offshore wind projects.
Solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power, even as the Trump administration boosts coal over clean energy.
Many leading Democrats are rethinking their approach to climate change. Rather than treating it as an existential threat, they’re instead talking about energy affordability and the economic advantages of clean energy.
The U.S. Energy Department is promising $17.5 billion in loans for new nuclear power plants.
Energy
The European Union made $59 billion in energy cost savings in 2025 by reducing its dependence on unreliable and polluting fossil fuels. High fossil fuel prices have flipped the math and accelerated Europe’s green transition by a decade.
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped significantly as the installation of renewable energy and batteries surges. Emissions in their electrical grid are now in freefall.
Over 9,900 electric buses are now operating in Latin America, cutting down toxic air pollution in cities as they replace gas and diesel buses. They also have huge battery packs that can be used to store electricity to be utilized as backup electricity in virtual power plants.
Lots of clean electricity is finally flowing from Canada to New York City via a recently completed big power line. The city is now able to power all of its government operations and cover 20% of citywide electricity demand with hydro power.
Researchers in China report a new process that converts hard-to-recycle styrofoam waste into valuable jet fuel at a cost competitive with petroleum-based fuels. It remains to be seen if it can be scaled up to be commercially competitive.
Solar energy now provides more electricity in the United States than coal. Solar is now providing more than twice the share of electricity it did five years ago.
EV drivers in the UK are saving more than £1,100 ($1,456) a year in fuel costs, compared with running a gasoline car.
The Iran War has permanently altered the world economy and is likely to accelerate a transition to renewables like solar and wind as well as nuclear power.
Peak Energy has entered a partnership with General Motors to manufacture sodium-ion batteries for energy storage systems. Sodium is readily available and cheaper than lithium.
Land, Food, and Agriculture
U.S. solar farms are doing a lot more than generating energy. In California, they shield irrigation canals and reduce water evaporation. In high sunlight areas, planting crops beneath raised solar panels helps crops stay moist and relatively cool.
Virginia has come up with a legislative framework to support and accelerate the transition into agrivoltaics, where crops share space with solar panels. The farmer gets a reliable income from a new kind of energy crop, while continuing to stay in the business of raising plants.
The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors again unanimously rejected a proposal to create a solar farm. This time on rocky land zoned agricultural near Timberville.
James Madison University received the Virginia Pollinator-Smart Solar gold certification by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for the solar facility on its campus.
The EU has eased restrictions on crops developed using novel gene-editing techniques. Supporters say the technology could help farmers adapt to climate change, but critics argue its effects remain poorly understood and could have unintended adverse consequences.
The UN is appealing for $202 million to help protect 8.8 million people across 22 high-risk countries from the looming El Niño weather pattern which could upend food systems.
Ecojustice
Extreme heat is more dangerous for people with diabetes but millions of Americans can’t afford the air conditioning that could keep them safe.
A Dutch court has agreed to hear the Greenpeace lawsuit against a Texas oil company to block a $345 million award stemming from protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Six economists have written a “roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth”. They claim that poverty and inequality are not accidents and that we’re edging towards an earth where rising emissions and biodiversity loss are destabilizing the conditions that support human life.
While almost all pastors in the U.S. believe in at least some degree of climate change, only about half have ever discussed it with their congregations. Some, however, are inviting their congregations to do as the Bible asks and be good stewards of the land.
Ecological and Climate Action
Shipping giant DHL is putting cargo on advanced technology wind-powered ships across the Atlantic. This shipping system could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99% compared with other transport options on similar routes.
No matter where you live in the United States or what your driving habits are, an EV is likely to have a smaller carbon footprint and cost less overall than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle, according to a new analysis by MIT.
Small scale “balcony” solar units can trim monthly utility costs by 10% to 25% depending on how many panels a user installs.
RMI staff have developed an E-Bike Environment & Economics Impact Calculator. It’s a user-friendly tool that estimates the real-world impacts of e-bike adoption — including cost savings, emissions reductions, and broader community benefits.
Building affordable housing on religious properties rose 17% last year as congregations are reimagining ways to use their space and how they relate to their communities.
In a divided America, there is bipartisan agreement on the value of local parks. A study shows that for every dollar invested in parks, cities reap $3 in economic benefits.
With better services, overnight trains are a growing (and green) option in Europe. Other countries such as China and Japan have spent decades expanding high-speed rail networks, making long-distance rail both practical and attractive.
Valley Creative Reuse in Harrisonburg gives new life and new homes to lightly used arts and craft supplies. Owner Morgan Gross says that her arts-and-crafts thrift store helps people find quality art supplies at more accessible prices while also keeping those supplies out of landfills.
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