Energy Policy Commons^™

Localized Air Pollution Impacts From Data Centers In Northern Virginia, Damian Pitt, Ivan Suen, Ellie Plisko

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment Publications and Presentations

This report examins the extent of air pollution emissions resulting from the use of backup generators at data centers in Northern Virginia, including both actual current emissions and potential future emissions, and how those emissions totals compare to other sources of air pollution in the Northern Virginia region. It also examines how exposure to data center emissions correlates with demographic characteristics such as race, income, and education.

We while the air pollution emissions from individual data centers is minor, the collective impact from the 100+ such facilities in the Northern Virginia region is significant. Notably, the cumulative emissions exposure in …

Utility-Scale Solar In Virginia – Current Trends And Future Impacts, Damian Pitt, Jennifer M. Ciminelli, Josie Laprad

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Electricity demand is soaring in Virginia, driven largely by the state’s booming data center industry. As the country’s cheapest source of new electricity supply, utility-scale solar (USS) is crucial to meeting this growing need.

Virginia has become a leading state for utility-scale solar development, and USS is projected to provide a substantial percentage of Virginia’s future electricity supply.

Concerns about the impacts of solar development, particularly on farm and forest land, is among the factors leading some localities to reject USS local land-use permits, and/or adopt more restrictive permitting regimes.

This trend towards more restrictive local permitting may threaten the …

Re-Evaluating The Land Use Impacts Of Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development In Virginia, Damian Pitt, Aaron R. Berryhill, Jennifer M. Ciminelli

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications

Utility-scale solar energy is the fastest-growing source of energy in the United States, and it provides many benefits related to climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, and tax revenue for the impacted localities. However, the rapid expansion of this technology raises some concerns, including the possible loss of farmland, forest land, and sensitive ecosystems, as well as potential environmental justice impacts from concentrating these facilities in low-income and/or minority communities.

In Virginia, 94 utility-scale solar facilities – defined as systems with a generating capacity of 5 megawatts (MW) AC or greater – have been built since December 2016. Hundreds more projects, …

Assessing The Benefits Of Distributed Solar In Virginia: 2024 Update And Status Report, Damian Pitt, Dagny Oakley

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment Publications and Presentations

Distributed solar energy is growing rapidly in Virginia, and prices are dropping. If these trends continue, the state has the potential to meet a significant percentage of its electricity needs via distributed solar, supporting thousands of jobs and achieving substantial economic benefits in the process. However, reaching these targets will require the continuation of a positive policy and regulatory environment. This includes the removal of several remaining policy barriers, particularly related to shared / community solar, and avoiding some of the negative policy changes that have slowed distributed solar in other states.

This report is an update to a VCU …

Investing In Virginia Through Energy Efficiency: An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Rggi And The Hiee Program, Damian Pitt, I-Shian Suen, Mike Mackenzie, Adelaide Alexander, Molly Lumsden

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment Publications and Presentations

This study examines the low-income energy efficiency programs funded by Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Its goal is to understand the extent to which those programs can address the problem of high energy burdens among Virginia’s low-income residents, and to estimate the impacts that those energy efficiency investments could have on the broader Virginia economy.

Our report begins with a review of existing research on “energy burdens,” or the concept that some residents, particularly those in lower income brackets, spend a disproportionate percentage of their incomes on home energy costs (heating, cooling, etc.). We then discuss …

Net Energy Metering And Community Shared Solar Deployment In The U.S.: Policy Perspectives, Barriers, And Opportunities, Gilbert L. Michaud

Theses and Dissertations

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has become a topic of intense policy debate at the state level in the United States (U.S.). Solar supporters have pointed to the economic development, environmental, and public health benefits this technology can provide. However, electric utilities and other interests have fought to scale back or cut favorable state PV policies as grid-connected solar PV installations have increased, due to decreased profits, grid complications, and customer fairness, among other reasons. This research first uses a hierarchical regression analysis with cross-sectional data from the years 2012–2013 to examine the suite of state-level policies used to encourage state …