AGP Executive Report

Potomac Protection: Virginia and D.C. sued to stop a proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery, warning construction could send stormwater runoff and pollution into the Potomac and disrupt traffic and emergency services. Energy Bills: Dominion disputes a state-required projection that a typical $180 monthly bill could reach $458 by 2046; the utility’s own plan still forecasts bills near $285. Dominion is also seeking to recover up to $13 a month in costs tied to Virginia’s carbon market. Forests and Fire: A national report says Virginia is among the states with the biggest forest losses to development and cropland. The state’s persistent drought is also raising fall wildfire concerns. Local Waters: Remediation is underway after sewage main breaks released waste into Henrico’s Gillies Creek. On Lake Gaston, officials stocked 1,341 sterile grass carp to control invasive hydrilla while limiting harm to habitat and fisheries. Waste-to-Energy: Virginia Beach is advancing a project to turn wastewater byproduct into renewable natural gas, with a proposed $30 million facility expected to power about 5,000 homes.

Potomac Protection: Virginia and D.C. are asking a federal court to halt the proposed 250-foot arch near the Potomac, citing alleged failures to complete environmental reviews and risks including stormwater runoff and construction pollution. Power Bills and Climate Policy: Dominion disputes a state-required estimate that a $180 monthly bill could reach $458 by 2046; its own forecast puts the bill near $285. The utility is also seeking to recover costs from Virginia’s return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, potentially adding up to $13 a month for customers. Waste Reduction: Richmond is collecting pumpkins through November for composting or use at a pig farm, keeping them out of landfills. Renewable Energy: A Virginia Beach project will turn wastewater-treatment biogas into pipeline-ready fuel, with enough energy to heat about 5,000 homes a year when it opens in 2027. Chesapeake Health: Reports highlight plunging oyster stocks and an algal bloom on the Eastern Shore, renewing attention on restoration and monitoring efforts.

Potomac River: Virginia and D.C. sued to stop construction of a proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle, arguing officials skipped required environmental reviews and that building work could add pollution and stormwater impacts. Renewable Energy: A Virginia Beach project will turn wastewater-treatment biogas into pipeline-ready fuel, with enough output to heat about 5,000 homes a year when it opens in 2027. Energy Costs: Dominion is asking Virginia regulators to let it recover costs from the state’s return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; customer bills could rise by as much as $13 a month. Chesapeake Bay: A Kent Island resident is raising oysters to help restore a species whose population has collapsed from historic levels; oyster reefs filter water and provide habitat. Drought and Forests: Drought is heightening Virginia’s fall wildfire concerns, while a new report says the state has suffered some of the nation’s largest forest losses to development and cropland.

Data Center Debate: Virginia’s rapid buildout is drawing sharper scrutiny. The Army Corps declined hundreds of requests for a public hearing on a proposed Google project in Botetourt County, while Winchester rejected another data center proposal. Residents are raising concerns about energy, water, noise and pollution. Drought and Fire Risk: Persistent drought is heightening wildfire concerns as Virginia enters fall fire season. Water Quality: Remediation is underway after sewage spills into Henrico’s Gillies Creek; an algal bloom has also damaged parts of the Eastern Shore. A new Chesapeake Bay report says the Bay is improving, but pollution persists. Energy and Land: Dominion’s 20-year plan projects higher bills, new solar farms and natural-gas plants; the utility is also seeking to recover RGGI costs, potentially adding up to $13 a month to customer bills. A new report ranks Virginia among the states with the largest forest losses. Lead Prevention: Health officials urge families to test children and check older homes for lead hazards.

Data Center Debate: The Army Corps declined to hold a public hearing on Botetourt County’s proposed Google data center despite hundreds of requests. Winchester’s board rejected a separate project, while Berry Hill residents raised concerns about costs and resource use. Bay & Fisheries: A fast-moving algal bloom devastated marine life and caused major oyster losses on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. A fishing group is also challenging the state’s menhaden harvest quotas in court. Clean Water: Remediation is underway after sewage from two main breaks entered Henrico’s Gillies Creek. Drought & Forests: Drought persists as Virginia enters fall wildfire season, and a new report says the state has suffered some of the nation’s largest forest losses. Energy Bills: Dominion’s 20-year plan projects higher bills alongside new solar farms and natural-gas plants; the utility is also seeking to recover costs that could add up to $13 a month for customers.

Local Pollution: Remediation is underway after a sewage discharge into Henrico’s Gillies Creek. Data Centers: Frederick County supervisors rejected the proposed 72-acre Winchester Gateway campus, ending the data center proposals then before the county. Menhaden: A Maryland fishing group is suing Virginia over 2026 harvest allocations, alleging regulators bypassed public review and failed to assess conservation impacts. Menhaden are a key food source in the Chesapeake Bay. Drought and Wildfire: Henry County, Patrick County and Martinsville remain under a drought emergency advisory as fall wildfire season begins; officials warn dry vegetation and careless burning could put homes and forests at risk. Forests: A new national report says Virginia accounts for some of the country’s largest forest losses. Energy Bills: Dominion’s long-term plan projects higher bills and new solar farms alongside natural-gas plants; the utility is also asking regulators to let it recover Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative costs, potentially adding up to $13 a month to customer bills. Community Action: Henrico nonprofits can apply for grants of $1,500 to $5,000 for projects such as native plantings, cleanups, heat resilience and environmental education.

Water Quality: Henrico crews are cleaning up after two sewer-main breaks sent wastewater into Gillies Creek near Richmond. Repairs are complete, but officials advise avoiding the creek and its James River outlet while impacts are assessed. Forests: Virginia lost about 494,000 acres of forest from 1990 to 2017, the seventh-highest total among states, a new study finds. More than half was converted to cropland; Pittsylvania, Chesterfield and Prince William ranked among the nation’s hardest-hit counties. Data Centers: Fairfax County says it will work with state leaders on new data-center accountability rules while retaining local oversight. In Loudoun, Amazon has proposed up to 1,548 homes on a campus where it dropped data-center plans after community opposition. Energy: Dominion’s long-range plan calls for more solar farms and natural-gas plants, with higher bills projected. Separately, the utility is seeking to recover costs tied to Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, potentially adding up to $13 a month to customer bills. Recycling: A Hampton Roads campaign found plastic bags and film were the most common contaminants in inspected recycling bins, prompting a reminder to keep bagged materials out of curbside carts.

Data Center Pressure: Virginia’s data-center rules remain contested as Fairfax leaders seek collaboration with the governor; a new national analysis warns that gas-fired power for AI facilities could reverse years of emissions cuts. Water Concerns: Virginia’s Little Wicomico River oyster harvest remains closed after Salmonella was found in samples from all four tested leases; reopening requires three clean testing rounds. Upper James drought status eased to a watch, but groundwater remains at emergency level. Energy & Oversight: CVEC opened a solar facility serving Albemarle and Nelson counties, and Virginia Beach plans to turn wastewater-plant biogas into power for thousands of homes. The EPA has also handed Virginia authority over its coal-ash permits. Chesapeake Bay: The Bay’s health is improving, though pollution remains a persistent problem.

Wetlands and Herbicides: A drone spraying suspected herbicide on invasive reeds at College Creek in James City County has raised concerns about oversight and spray drifting into wetlands that support native wildlife. Wastewater Energy: Virginia Beach plans to turn biogas from its wastewater facility into power for thousands of homes. Drought: Recent rain eased drought conditions in the Upper James region, but groundwater remains at emergency levels. Data Center Pressure: Virginia Tech’s Technology Park withdrew a data center application, while Amazon halted Virginia projects amid rising scrutiny. Critics also question the state’s data center growth and its demands on water and electricity. Bay Health: A new report says Chesapeake Bay health is improving, though pollution remains a problem. Northern Virginia Heat: Preliminary heat mapping found some areas stay hot into evening; neighborhoods with less tree cover were 2.5 to 4.2 degrees hotter than greener areas. Transportation Funding: Virginia is weighing a plan to address a $1.7 billion road-maintenance gap by shifting money from construction, raising concerns about cuts to local safety, sidewalks and transit projects.

Data Center Debate: Virginia’s fight over data center growth is intensifying, with lawmakers divided and a proposed Virginia Technology Park project withdrawn amid concerns about power demand, water use and local impacts. Chesapeake Bay: The Bay earned its highest health score in four decades, a C+, but pollution persists in Virginia’s York and Elizabeth rivers, underscoring the need to sustain cleanup efforts. Disaster Recovery: Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced more than $52 million over 10 years for Southwest and Western Virginia projects, including forest, watershed and infrastructure work to aid Helene recovery and strengthen resilience. Drought: Conditions remain uneven across the state: Hampton Roads is under a drought warning, Henrico remains on drought watch, while the New River Valley has left its watch status.

Data Center Debate: Virginia lawmakers remain split over the industry’s tax break: Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas favors repeal, while House Appropriations Chair Luke Torian wants growth with stronger protections for host communities. A Virginia Technology Park data center application has also been withdrawn, as Dominion’s long-term plan forecasts more than $183 billion in system costs and potential residential bill increases exceeding $100 a month over 20 years. Water & Climate: Henrico remains under drought watch, while Hampton Roads has faced a drought warning. Advocates are also pressing Virginia to do more to curb PFAS pollution in waterways. Forest Recovery: More than $52 million in federal funding will support Southwest and Western Virginia projects, including watershed and forest restoration and infrastructure work in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Clean Energy: Construction is underway on a $22 million geothermal system for a planned Shenandoah Valley resort, designed to provide heating and cooling across the 640-acre site.

Data Center Pushback: A proposed 220-acre data center campus in Frederick County was withdrawn from the board’s agenda, halting the project for now. The move comes amid wider Virginia scrutiny of data center growth and its impacts. Drought: Henrico remains under drought watch as conditions vary across the state: Hampton Roads has a drought warning, while the New River Valley is out of watch status. Recycling: Only about 10% of glass collected for recycling in Virginia is turned into new products, as limited processing capacity and recycling systems hamper progress across the Chesapeake Bay region. Coastal Waters: An unusual mahogany tide caused an estimated $16 million in oyster losses on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Pollution: A Virginia Mercury commentary urges stronger action to curb PFAS contamination in the state’s waters.

Data Center Pushback: Amazon has halted plans for Virginia data centers amid rising scrutiny, while Suffolk approved a temporary ban and advocates called for a pause on new projects in Richmond. Drought: Henrico and nearby counties remain under a watch as Virginia officials warn of dry soils and falling groundwater; Hampton Roads recently faced its first drought warning in at least 16 years, even as parts of the state improve. Chesapeake Bay: The Bay earned its highest-ever water-quality score, but an unusual mahogany tide killed an estimated $16 million worth of oysters along Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Recycling: Glass recycling efforts across the Chesapeake region are showing cracks, raising concerns about how reliably the material is collected and reused.

Data Center Pushback: Amazon canceled plans for Loudoun County data centers after reaching an agreement with local officials, as scrutiny grows over the projects’ energy and environmental costs. Suffolk approved a temporary data-center ban, while Richmond advocates called for a pause on new facilities. Drought Watch: Hampton Roads issued a drought warning for the first time in at least 16 years, even as improving conditions took the New River Valley out of drought-watch status. Chesapeake Bay: The Bay’s water quality earned its highest score yet in the latest report card. Native Plants: Lynnhaven River Now is collecting native seeds in Virginia Beach, promoting plants that support pollinators and wildlife while helping filter contaminants.

Drought: Hampton Roads has issued its first drought warning in at least 16 years, even as the New River Valley has moved out of drought-watch status—highlighting sharply different conditions across Virginia. Data Center Pushback: Amazon has paused Virginia data center plans amid rising scrutiny, while Suffolk approved a temporary ban and residents and elected officials call for limits on large projects and their energy costs. Energy: Virginia officials have approved a proposed 3-gigawatt Dominion gas-fired power station, raising fresh questions about how the state will meet growing electricity demand and manage emissions. Wildlife and Gardens: Lynnhaven River Now is collecting native plant seeds for local gardeners; native species can feed pollinators, support wildlife and help filter contaminants. Trout Stocking: A hatchery’s loss of nearly 130,000 trout is expected to disrupt stocking in several Virginia counties.

Power & Resilience: A Norfolk outage left more than 1,500 homes without electricity for over 12 hours, renewing calls for home and grid batteries as backup power. Data-Center Pushback: Virginia’s debate over data centers and their energy demands is escalating: Amazon halted plans in Loudoun and dropped a proposed project at George Washington University, while Suffolk approved a temporary ban and Hampton Roads residents called for a statewide pause. Water & Wildlife: A pump failure, drought-low water and pathogens killed about 130,000 trout at Coursey Springs hatchery; stockings across 11 counties will be reduced, though none canceled. Hampton Roads is also under a drought warning, its first in at least 16 years. Coastal Waters: An unusual mahogany tide killed an estimated $16 million worth of oysters along Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Energy: Virginia officials have given the go-ahead to a proposed 3-gigawatt Dominion gas-fired power station, while Fluvanna residents are suing over a separate power-plant permit.