Virginia advocacy agenda for 2026 General Assembly session

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) outlines its legislative priorities for the 60‑day 2026 Virginia General Assembly session, focusing on conservation, housing and land use, energy and climate, and data center reform.

• Conservation & land use priorities include sustained and increased state funding for the Land Preservation Tax Credit, Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, Virginia Working Lands Fund, and the proposed Our Virginia Outdoors program (aiming to dedicate $300 million annually to conservation), plus support for establishing Oak Hill as a new state park, creating a Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund, and tracking legislation on invasive species control.
• Energy, climate, and data center reform priorities emphasize expanding rooftop solar and distributed generation, ensuring responsible siting of large-scale solar and battery storage, defending local land use authority, promoting transit-oriented, climate-friendly housing, and advancing data center reform via state oversight, ratepayer protection, enhanced transparency on energy and water use, impact mitigation (including potential tax changes), and cautious evaluation of demand response policies.