By DAVE RESS,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
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A plan for 55 miles of natural gas pipelines through western Tidewater, boosted by an expanded compressor station just outside Petersburg and another in Emporia, would make bad air quality in two neighborhoods even worse, a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says. “Communities in this part of the state are being hit on every side — rising sea levels and increased flooding. Dealing with the impacts of past bad projects and pollution,” said Greg Buppert, senior attorney and leader of Southern Environmental Law Center’s regional gas team.
By DREW HANSEN,
Washington Business Journal
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With thousands of Amazon employees soon to stream into the company’s new offices in Pentagon City — for at least a few days a week, anyway — the roads and rails promise to get more crowded. Several projects in the National Landing area received boosts in funding thanks to the state’s agreement with Amazon. All are in different stages, some still years off, others already completed.
By MARGARET BARTHEL,
DCist
Amazon has invested nearly $52 billion in data centers in Virginia since 2011, according to a new report from the company. The figure includes capital investments as well as operating expenses for the tech behemoth’s data centers in the commonwealth. … The $52 billion does not include an expected $35 billion in future investments through 2040, which the company announced in January. “Our overall story began right here in Virginia, which was home of our first data center region, in 2006,” said Shannon Kellogg, the vice president for public policy in the Americas for Amazon Web Services, who led a panel discussion about the report at a company conference on Wednesday.
By DAN BRENDEL,
Washington Business Journal
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The first phase of Amazon’s heralded HQ2, Metropolitan Park, which is now officially opening its doors, is a noteworthy milestone in its own right. But that opening represents only the lesser tip of the total HQ2 iceberg. Met Park has two 22-story towers that together weigh in at some 2.1 million square feet. PenPlace, HQ2’s second phase that promises to be even bigger, has been paused for the past few months as Amazon.com Inc. evaluates its needs and next steps — but, apparently, not for much longer.
Bristol Herald Courier
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PBS Appalachia Virginia plans launch of the nation’s first all-digital public television station dedicated to Southwest Virginia, in conjunction with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol.
In partnership with Hard Rock International, PBS Appalachia plans to construct a state-of-the-art television studio in the future Hard Rock Bristol location, according to a written statement.
By LATESHIA BEACHUM, ERIN COX, GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER AND LAURA VOZZELLA,
Washington Post
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The FBI in a letter this month underscored the value of locating its planned suburban headquarters close to existing Virginia facilities as a decision nears in an at-times acrimonious, decade-long fight between the commonwealth and Maryland to lure the agency. “Distances matter when surging to a command post,” the bureau stated in response to questions that Maryland leaders lodged with the federal government in March. “From a time-savings and environmental perspective, it is meaningfully important to limit the need for the FBI workforce to spend several hours in a car commuting back and forth between locations.”
By DAVID MCGEE,
Bristol Herald Courier
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Southwest Virginia rolled out the red carpet Wednesday for a delegation of officials from various struggling U.S. coal communities eager to learn more about economic diversification efforts. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum hosted a reception for the Coal Communities Commitment Coalition, a leadership and peer-learning network of 20 local leaders who come to learn about different economic diversification strategies. Several Virginia state officials were also on hand, eager to show off some Southwest Virginia success stories.