A Southern Environmental Law Center suit alleges state regulators erred in four areas in approving the plant: environmental justice, the cost of the gas plant compared to alternatives, the burden of proof on reliability and the legal mechanism for cost recovery.
See the full story in the Virginia Mercury.
More DMV News
In 2026, More Data Center Regulations Could Be Coming in Maryland
Maryland Matters
A vacant Social Security building in Baltimore County. A former power plant in Montgomery. An old mall site in Prince George’s. And that’s on top of a data center campus that has long been under development on a former industrial site in Frederick County.
Spanberger Talks Affordability, Data Centers, and Top Priorities Heading Into Virginia Governorship
WTOP News
Across the Commonwealth, we’re seeing more large-scale energy users appear—sometimes quickly—through zoning approvals and new builds. This isn’t a passing trend. It’s an industry that continues to grow, expanding its footprint not just locally, but nationwide.
With Transmission Line Controversies, Local Leaders Look to Move Away from Data Center Growth
Loudoun Now
The Board of Supervisors opened 2025 by approving a work plan for the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning to revamp regulations governing data centers. That project defined data center conversations in Loudoun throughout 2025 and is expected to continue to do so in 2026.
New Year, New Environmental Battles Brew in Chesapeake Bay States
The Bay Journal
Partisan clashes in Pennsylvania and budget headaches in Maryland cloud prospects for climate and environmental legislation in those states this year.
National and International News
Home Efficiency Upgrades Could Offset Data Center Loads While Creating Jobs
Smart Cities Dive
A 200-MW data center could offset 10% of its peak load by investing $50 million in low-cost residential efficiency upgrades, energy policy group AnnDyl said in a preliminary analysis released in December 2025.
Data Centers Were 40% of PJM Capacity Costs in Last Auction
Utility Dive
Data center load accounted for $6.5 billion, or 40%, of the $16.4 billion in costs from the PJM Interconnection’s December capacity auction, according to the grid operator’s independent market monitor.
EPA Plans to Give 11 Coal Plants a Free Pass on Toxic Ash Disposal
Canary Media
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to let 11 coal plants dump toxic coal ash into unlined pits until 2031 — a full decade later than allowed under current federal rules.
Trump’s EPA Could Limit Its Own Ability to Use New Science to Strengthen Air Pollution Rules
Grist
Ethylene oxide was once considered an unremarkable pollutant. The colorless gas seeped from relatively few industrial facilities and commanded little public attention.
Billions at Stake in the Ocean as Trump Throttles Offshore Wind Farms
New York Times
Businesses around the world have been roiled by President Trump’s sudden policy shifts. But few have had it worse than offshore wind companies.