**** LOCAL NEWS **** 

New wildflower meadow to be added at McIntire Park 

Charlottesville Parks and Recreation is adding a new native grass and wildflower meadow installation in McIntire Park, the city announced on May 28. The project, located over an acre of the former McIntire golf course, aims to increase biodiversity and provide a habitat for pollinators, birds, and other small animals. Learn the details here: Wildflower Meadow 

Albemarle County proposes rules for land along waterways to protect water quality 

Albemarle County is setting clear rules for what can and can’t happen in buffer zones along rivers, streams and ponds. Development and runoff from fertilizers can harm the ecosystem and pollute the water that people and wildlife depend on.The 100ft. wide vegetation on both sides of the waterways is the last line of defense from pollutants. Under the new rules, property owners can’t build structures or clear vegetation without county approval. “Anything that removes the plants, whether it’s paving or building a building, is going to reduce the ability to protect the coastal waterways using the buffers,” McGlathery said. 

DEQ meeting about data center discharge water into Lake Anna tributaries turns contentious 

Amazon Web Services is seeking permission from the Department of Environmental Quality to release treated water from its data centers into Louisa County’s natural water sources. The requested Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit would be used at Amazon’s Lake Anna Tech Campus. It would give AWS permission to release 280,000 gallons a day of treated cooling water from its data centers into Sedges Creek, which flows into Lake Anna. 

The DEQ hosted a public hearing at Louisa County Middle School recently to allow the community a chance to weigh in on its published responses to public comments already made.In order to speak on Monday, citizens had to have already submitted comments to the DEQ, either written or verbal, during the scheduled “public comment” timeframe. Out of the dozens of people there, only four people met that requirement and signed up to speak. The meeting quickly turned combative, leading to frustration and outbursts by people in attendance. “We are affected by this and it bothers me where it is we can’t speak, we can’t put our values out there,” said Cathy Corker, who lives on Lake Anna. DEQ representatives responded to the criticism by saying they were only following state law that lays out the permit process. As reported by the Virginia Mercury, concerns were also previously raised around the unknown presence of PFAS inside the data centers and potentially seeping into the water. More at Lake Anna 

July 28: C3 (Community Climate Collaborative) is hosting a webinar entitled: Ann Arbor’s Sustainable Energy Utility. The City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has consistently made national headlines by gaining public buy-in to set up a trailblazing, first-in-the-country sustainable energy utility (SEU), which will bring clean, affordable energy to city residents. C3 will dive into the details with the head of Ann Arbor’s new SEU, Shoshannah Lenski, to discuss how they got where they are, what they’ve learned, and what lessons Charlottesville can take in our own journey toward decarbonization. Register here: Ann Arbor 

**** STATE NEWS **** 

Virginia is one of only two states (the other being Alabama) that does NOT have a state climate office. Update: Virginia’s new State Climate Office was officially authorized to be hosted at George Mason University under a state budget provision that took effect on July 1, 2026. It is tasked with delivering localized weather and climate risk data to local governments, businesses, and communities across the commonwealth. 

Virginia energy watchdogs urge caution as Dominion-NextEra deal moves ahead 

Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO 

Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy might be in a rush to close the $67 billion merger proposed in mid-May to spawn the nation’s biggest regulated power company. But consumer and renewable energy advocates in Virginia have urged caution by issuing a collective “Whoa!” They want state government officials and regulators to subject NextEra’s acquisition of Richmond-based Dominion to rigorous scrutiny—so the all-stock, mega-deal benefits ratepayers, not just utility shareholders. To achieve that, they say, Virginia must establish robust protections for affordability, transparency, competition and electric grid modernization. Read it here: Dominion 

A major milestone for Virginia agriculture! 🚜☀️

Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation defining agrivoltaics in the Code of Virginia. Agrivoltaics is the intentional co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the exact same land. Think crops growing or livestock grazing right under solar arrays. This new, farmer-first definition ensures that: 

✅ Agricultural productivity remains the priority. 

✅ Land stays in active production for the life of the solar equipment. 

✅ It functions as part of an existing farm business, giving our producers a flexible tool to diversify income and offset on-farm electricity costs. 

Read the full announcement at https://www.pecva.org/…/virginia-gov-spanberger-signs…/ #VAagriculture #Agrivoltaics #CleanEnergy 

New opportunity to make a difference on-line.

The Spanberger administration has launched a public survey to gather input on Virginia’s 2026 Energy Plan, which will help shape energy policy and infrastructure decisions across the Commonwealth for years to come. Find the survey here: Survey 

**** NEWS YOU CAN USE **** 

How to Spot Greenwashing Claims When You Travel 

Hotels and other service providers pitch themselves as eco-friendly when they’re not. Here’s how to call their bluff.Finding legitimately eco-friendly travel options is difficult, not to mention time-consuming. The gap between sustainability claims and practices can be quite large, and greenwashing isn’t always easy to identify. But there are signs to look for. Look here for the details: Travel 

This Summer Travel Season Could Forever Alter the Future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Jaclyn Trop, WIRED magazine 

As the conflict in Iran disrupts the world’s oil supply, airlines are looking for jet fuel alternatives. The answer: energy from used cooking oil and french fry grease. With carriers canceling thousands of flights in advance of potential fuel shortages, Vancouver-based aviation analyst Mark Miller and other analysts have turned their attention to sustainable aviation fuel, commonly called SAF, which can cut emissions by up to 80 percent but costs two to five times the price of regular jet fuel. United Airlines, Delta, American, and Cathay Pacific are among the carriers now using SAF.“Right now, conventional jet fuel looks to be twice as expensive going into the summer travel season,” says Lauren Riley, chief sustainability officer for United Airlines. “That makes SAF look like a more competitive alternative financially. In fact, it’s the closest to parity we’ve ever seen. This is the first time in my career that we’re actually having conversations about it.” Read more at: SAF 

The Tiny Solar Panel That Could Change America – Robinson Meyer, New York Times 

A technology — known as plug-in, balcony or garden solar — is already enormously popular in Germany, in part because you can buy a kit for less than $600 at IKEA. It’s a small solar panel system, often producing up to 1,200 watts of electricity, or generally more than a refrigerator consumes, that you can affix to a wall, hang on a railing or prop up in a garden — and then plug directly into a wall socket. With the help of a small device called a micro inverter, it pumps electricity into your household circuits to offset your power demand. At least 30 states have passed legislation to legalize these plug-in solar kits or are considering similar bills. Last year, Republican-led Utah became the first state in the country to allow plug-in solar sales. Many of the countries that have brought down the cost of rooftop solar to low levels rewrote local rules. Here in the United States, the truly transformative reforms for cutting rooftop solar costs would have to happen in the states. Another reason state elections are so important! If you are a NYT subscriber you can read the rest here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/opinion/solar-panels-balcony-backyard-plugin.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share 

Thanks to Sharon Helt for sharing this article from the Sierra Club Magazine: 

Can you live more plastic free this month? A Room-by-Room Guide for Going Plastic Free 

While plastic is everywhere, we can significantly reduce exposure in our own homes. And while it may seem like an insurmountable task, it’s possible to make progress without burning out. How? Just go one room at a time. For all the valuable, easy to do ideas, go to: Plastic 

Want to Boost Your Home’s Resale Value? Install a Heat Pump Heat Pump