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Virginia went all in on solar. Then its powerful utility changed the rules.
Four years ago, Fairfax County announced a landmark clean energy plan to install solar panels on more than 100 buildings including schools, community centers and government facilities. But progress on that goal — which the county estimated would save $60 million in utility costs over 25 years — has stalled after the state’s biggest utility imposed expensive grid connection requirements that solar proponents say make those midsize projects not viable. Fairfax had completed six projects before Dominion Energy changed the requirements for midsize solar in December 2022. Since then, the county has downsized two projects to fall below the requirements’ parameters, while five others — including a police station, stormwater complex and library — are on hold.
What’s to become of the keepsakes left at Arlington Cemetery?
During one of their winter visits to Arlington National Cemetery, Mark and Nancy Umbrell placed a colorful patchwork quilt beside their son Colby’s grave. It had arrived in the mail years earlier from a sender they did not know after the 26-year-old’s 2007 death in Iraq. They had observed other visitors leaving mementos, a gesture that felt to them like a fitting way to both honor the fallen Army officer and thank the quilt maker whose kindness meant so much in their moment of grief, Nancy Umbrell said.
UVa student panel: The significance of college counselors and how Virginia falls short
In 1954, ruling on the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court asserted that “education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments.” While this case dealt with racial segregation in schools, it upheld the notion that all children should have the opportunity to pursue an education “on all equal terms.” Over the past 70 years, the nature of education has changed, with college degrees now required to pursue many careers. Across the nation, and in many of Virginia’s public schools, there is a lack of adequate college counseling and preparatory resources.
After ‘whites only’ job posting, Va. technology company hit with fine from the Justice Department
A tech company based in Loudoun County, Virginia, has been fined by the Department of Justice after it advertised that it was seeking “white” candidates for an open job posting. The job posting by Ashburn-based Arthur Grand Technologies Inc. was published in March 2023 and said that the company was only looking for “U.S. Born Citizens [white] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates],” according to a Justice Department news release.
GOP candidates campaign in Lynchburg ahead of U.S. Senate primary
With the upcoming primary in June, Republican U.S. Senate candidates are hitting the campaign trail. Two of the five running, Chuck Smith and Eddie Garcia, came to a veteran event in Lynchburg. Incumbent Senator Tim Kaine is the only Democratic candidate in the race.
Amazon buys former Parsons Farm for $218 million for first mid-county data center complex in Prince William
It’s official: Data centers are moving into Prince William County’s mid-county. Amazon has purchased the former Parsons Farm landscaping outlet and the surrounding acreage for $218 million. The sale, first reported earlier this week by the Washington Business Journal, confirms the fears nearby residents expressed at public hearings before the Prince William County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors earlier this year: that concrete buildings up to 85 feet tall would soon be on the horizon for sleepy Independent Hill.
Fauquier County planning commission greenlights 93-acre solar farm near Bealeton
A 93-acre solar farm proposed for southern Fauquier County has cleared a hurdle that tripped up similar projects before it. The Bealeton Solar Center — a utility-scale solar farm halfway between Bealeton and Remington — got a boost last week when the county planning commission decided unanimously that it aligns with the county’s comprehensive plan.
Southwest region offers alternative location for data centers
This region could be poised to recruit data centers, once thought to be almost solely enmeshed in Northern Virginia’s economic eco-system, according to speakers at Thursday’s Southwest Virginia Economic Forum. It was a recurring theme during the event held at UVA Wise, as Gov. Glenn Youngkin, economist Christine Chmura and Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Bristol, were among those noting a paradigm shift in the business model after some Northern Virginia localities opposed locating additional data centers in an area that has the world’s highest concentration.
Five Virginia Republicans vie for a chance to challenge Sen. Tim Kaine
Five Republicans are set on ousting Sen. Tim Kaine (D) in purple Virginia this fall, an uphill battle one of them can take on after winning the June 18 primary. Kaine, a former Virginia governor who was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the seat “Solid D,” meaning it is not considered competitive. But all five Republicans say they would have a good shot at toppling Kaine, especially given recent polling suggesting a tighter race for president than in 2020 ...
Loudoun allocates $2M to guaranteed-income pilot program for low-income residents
The Board of Supervisors voted 6-2 May 23 to allocate $2 million for a pilot “economic mobility” program for low-income county residents. Proposed by Supervisor Koran Saines (D-Sterling), the program would distribute monthly payments to residents at or below 30% of the area median income. In Loudoun County, 30% AMI is $32,550 for a one-person household or $46,450 for a family of four. Recipients would be able to use the funds for groceries, rent, paying down debt, or anything else they need, Saines said ...