Dominion's regulators approved in November a rate increase, but not by the requested amount. Changes include how data centers will pay for their needs, potentially reducing speculative projections. Some want more residential customer protections. insideclimatenews.org/news/0701202...

It's 2026 alright. Before we take off more, here's some thoughts on stories and what stood out to me in 2025: lnkd.in/eAryA8-Z Thank you to @insideclimatenews.org, @cardinalnews.org, Virginia Business, @whropublicmedia.bsky.social and everyone for all the help last year.

Virginia's enviromental regulators are considering defining a "sudden and reasonably unforeseeable" emergency to include a "planned outage." The change would allow data centers to run diesel generators more often than cleaner alternatives. insideclimatenews.org/news/1512202...

"...Virginia’s legislative watchdog agency found that households there could see their bills increase by an estimated $14 to $37 monthly by 2040 as a result." From @laurendalban.bsky.social. .https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08122025/environmental-groups-demand-data-center-construction-freeze/

The State Corporation Commission approved Dominion's new natural gas plant proposal, the first since passage of Virginia's decarbonization law in 2020. The project still needs an air permit. It comes as the state sees rising demand from data centers. insideclimatenews.org/news/0512202...

Tenaska's 1.5 gigawatt gas plant proposal in Fluvanna County will now have all three planning commission votes in January. It's part of PJM's Reliability Resource Initiative seeking to add electricity generation to the grid to power data centers. insideclimatenews.org/news/2611202...

Before the public can act, they must know. But China is silencing independent journalists reporting on the environmental impacts of its massive Belt and Road Initiative—mines, ports, dams, power plants etc in mostly poor countries. Here’s how they’re doing it and why it matters.

Texas has no regulations to protect workers from the state’s blistering heat and overturned city ordinances that required rest breaks. What does that mean for workers in one of the hottest parts of the country? @keertigopal.bsky.social and I spent months investigating for @insideclimatenews.org (1)

New research shows how low-income communities of color bear the brunt of pollution past and present, and how that legacy of injustice is likely to reverberate for generations as seas rise. We have the story at @insideclimatenews.org A thread. 1/ insideclimatenews.org/news/2011202...

More data centers are coming and so more gas pipelines could be here too. Mountain Valley Pipeline and Williams Companies's plans to run pipe next to each other from Southwest Virginia into North Carolina are among many proposals across the state. insideclimatenews.org/news/2011202...

A timeline cleanser: My recent newsletter is about rise of "repair cafes" around the world, where communities come together to fix each other's beloved things. The goal: reduce consumer waste, and maybe make some buddies in the process 🔧👭 insideclimatenews.org/news/1111202...

A new unifying issue: Just about everyone hates data centers. I looked at examples in Indiana, but it's almost everywhere, with resistance to data centers coming from left, right and center. insideclimatenews.org/news/1311202...

Democrats in Virginia won trifecta control of state government. A lot of action is expected to happen in the next session in 2026. One of the questions before lawmakers: keep with clean energy goals on the books, or ease them for a little more gas? insideclimatenews.org/news/0511202...

The location of Dominion's proposed gas peaker plant in Chesterfield County is within the Elizabeth Scott voting precinct. There, Harris received about 52% of the votes in 2024. There, incumbent GOP Del. Carrie Coyner is facing a challenge from Dem. Lindsey Dougherty. (1/3)

Virginia voters will hit the polls tomorrow with electricity bills, data centers and renewable energy front of mind. One potential outcome? A Democratic triefcta control with questions over a commitment to the state's decarbonization law. insideclimatenews.org/news/0311202...

A CSX train carrying coal from West Virginia to Newport News, Virginia derailed just past Richmond in New Kent County. About 4,000 tons of coal and 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into wetlands near the Chickahominy River. insideclimatenews.org/news/3110202...

Virginia Gov. Youngkin signed onto a joint proposal with the Data Center Coalition, 3 other governors wanting the regional grid operator to fast track approvals of data centers that bring their own electricity generation, or BYOG. Rambo has the details: insideclimatenews.org/news/3010202...

My colleague @kileyprice.bsky.social writes a weekly newsletter about the latest on climate events. This one was about houses collapsing on Hatteras Island, where I was last week for a few fay days off. More homes have fallen today. insideclimatenews.org/news/2810202...

Virginia holds the title of data center capital of the world. How did that happen? My colleague @dangearino.bsky.social and I asked the question. Here's some answers. insideclimatenews.org/news/2610202...

There's been some people showing up to support Dominion's proposed natural gas peaker plant at air permit hearings. The group, the Virginia Energy Reliability Alliance, has financial backing from the utility. (1/2) insideclimatenews.org/news/2310202...

Tenaska is proposing a new 1.5 GW gas plant in Fluvanna County as part of PJM's fast tracked process to get more electricity onto the grid to serve data centers. The planning commission said hold up. insideclimatenews.org/news/1810202...

Thanks to Michael Pope, VPAP and @vpm.org for the appearance on the Virginia Press Room with Karri Peifer and Joe Dodson Spoiler alert, Karri and Joe share insights worth following, as always. Now, on Pink-Slime and a Miyares investigation: open.spotify.com/episode/5dTq...

Earlier this year, the Virginia legislature passed only a handful of 33 unique bills on data center development in the state. My colleague Deep Vakil and I took a deep dive on what the bills aimed to do and why they failed. Graphic c/o Paul Horn. insideclimatenews.org/news/3009202...

It happened several months ago, but the Virginia legislature this year passed only a handful of bills on data center development in the state. My colleague @thedeepvakil and I took a deep dive on what 33 unique bills aimed to do and why they failed. insideclimatenews.org/news/3009202...

Yesterday, Govs. Shapiro, Youngkin, Moore and Murphy demanded reforms within PJM. Studies on leaving the regional grid will likely show, "...there’s probably not enough benefit to justify the potential risks," said Jon Gordon with Advanced Energy United. insideclimatenews.org/news/2209202...

Duane Brankley lives 1.5 miles from a former coal plant. He remembers needing to wash ash off his roof and walkways as a kid. Now, he could be exposed to a fine carcinogen if Dominion gets its wish to build natural gas units where an old coal one ran. insideclimatenews.org/news/1809202...

Environmental groups expected some funding for projects, including five in Southwest Virginia, to increase resiliency. Trump canceled the program, and a judge dismissed a lawsuit to restore the grants. The groups are now appealing the ruling. insideclimatenews.org/news/1709202...

Extreme, deadly heat doesn't care about politics. Social-democratic Spain and neo-fascist Italy were hardest hit by this summer's heatwave, both suffering 1000s of casualties to human-caused global warming. insideclimatenews.org/news/1709202...

Trump is halting offshore wind projects amid claims the tech harms birds. Dominion's project is still under construction. Researchers found 6.8% of southbound and 4.7% of northbound tracked Whimbrel's could fly through turbines' spinning blades. insideclimatenews.org/news/0809202...

Dominion Energy, Virginia's largest utility serving what's called the data center capital of the world, and big tech like Amazon, Google and Microsoft are sparing over new rates. Hanging in the balance? A $20 monthly bill increase for typical households. insideclimatenews.org/news/0409202...

Google, Gov. Youngkin announced a $9 billion investment in the state, including a data center in Chesterfield County in Central Va. The size, construction timeline are unknown. There are also questions around its water use. insideclimatenews.org/news/2708202...

“In our mind, it makes it even more important for the General Assembly of Virginia to really take action,” Tyler Ray, president of the Bren Pointe Homeowners Association, said. “It’s clear under the current statute that residents are at risk.” insideclimatenews.org/news/2008202...

Dominion said in its application for a gas peaker plant in Va that it used an independent monitor to review bids for the project. Then it said it didn't. In 2019, a utility employee colluded with a company during a bid process that undercut other offers. insideclimatenews.org/news/1308202...

Attorneys for environmental groups and the EPA argued in court yesterday whether Trump's orders lawfully canceled $3 billion in grants to fund resiliency projects. Some money went to SW Va, which saw 3.5 inches of rain lead to flooding and injuries in July. insideclimatenews.org/news/0608202...

Virginia's been deploying broadband in rural areas for a few years. The work has overcome obstacles, and now faces changes from the Trump administration as the hardest-to-reach areas remain to be served. Via Virginia Business. virginiabusiness.com/virginia-rur...

ICYMI: Cumberland County approved a landfill last week despite residents' concerns over potential harms to Black cultural, historic resources and well water sources. Via @cardinalnews.org cardinalnews.org/2025/07/31/c...

The Democractic candidate for governor of Virginia, @abigailspanberger.com, has a lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the polls, fundraising. Her platform embraces renewables, natural gas and data centers paying their fare share for grid upgrades. insideclimatenews.org/news/0308202...

Layoffs, Votes of No Confidence and a Leader on Leave at One of the Nation’s Oldest Environmental Groups insideclimatenews.org/news/2507202...

Journalism, Propaganda and Climate Change insideclimatenews.org/news/2307202...

Governor Youngkin was among the group of nine bipartisan governors who wrote PJM to have more of a say on the grid operator's governance and address issues of getting energy sources, mostly clean ones, onto the electric grid. insideclimatenews.org/news/2307202...

Want To Fight Climate Change? Give Afro-Descendant Communities Land Rights, New Report Says insideclimatenews.org/news/2207202...

Within the past week, Youngkin has announced moves to use artificial intelligence skills to land jobs and use AI to cut regulations. AI runs through data centers, the facilities popping up near Virginians' homes and straining power, water resources. insideclimatenews.org/news/1607202...

The U.S. Department of Energy released a grid reliability report. Critics say it's unreliable given the flaws in its methodology, and worry about a continued use of Dominion Energy's costly, polluting Mount Storm coal plant. insideclimatenews.org/news/1607202...

Ian spoke with many different people for this - community members, advocacy groups, government officials and people who know the history of the island and bridge. His years of radio reporting experience came through clearly for me. Check it out!

Cumberland County residents who are opposed to the Green Ridge landfill proposal are pushing for tourism around the area's African American history as an alternative to draw in economic development. cardinalnews.org/2025/07/10/r...

In Cumberland County, where GFL Environmental is proposing a landfill, residents are concerned about language in a host agreement, property assurance program, that prevents dissent against the project, including from elected officials. @cardinalnews.org cardinalnews.org/2025/07/07/c...

On Senate Floor, Tillis Offered Inside Look Into the Lobbying Against Clean Energy: "People that haven’t worked a day in business are setting policy in the White House" insideclimatenews.org/news/0207202...

Amid Trump's changes to the federal government, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced his agency would move into National Science Foundation offices, with no indication of where the latter would be going. insideclimatenews.org/news/0107202...

Senate Republicans have quietly inserted provisions in President Trump’s domestic policy bill that would not only end federal support for wind and solar energy but would impose an entirely new tax on future projects, a move that industry groups say could devastate the renewable power industry.