February 2026 Newsletter

    View this newsletter online at Greening Chesapeake

February Newsletter

In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● General Assembly ● Data Center Policy ● Comp Plan ● Renewable Energy ● HRT Microtransit Service ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News

Chesapeake Sustainability Network

Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network for a call on Thursday, February 5, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, to discuss our local efforts.  We'll use Google Meet; see the e-mailed newsletter for the link or reach out to us at greeningchesapeake@gmail.com

The agenda will include the Data Center Policy, Renewable Energy, and Earth Day Planning.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is in session.  Numerous bills have been submitted to address a variety of environmental topics including renewable energy, data centers, invasive species, land conservation, PFAS, environmental justice and more.  See the bills were tracking here.  Stay tuned for various Action Alerts on bills by joining our Greening Chesapeake Facebook Group or going to our Action Alert page.  

Data Center Policy

On January 13, the City Council approved an Initiating Resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning Data Centers.  This would start the process to make amendments to the Chesapeake zoning Ordinance to provide that Data Centers are a conditional use in appropriate zoning districts when certain conditions are met.  The associated memo from the Director of Planning states that it is anticipated that the recommendations will call for data centers to require a conditional use permit in industrial zoned areas and within the Fentress Airfield Overlay, and that they will not be permitted within business and office districts.    

We submitted comments on behalf of the Chesapeake Sustainability Network supporting the Initiating Resolution and urging the Planning Department to work with the community, hold public meetings, and seek public input on the proposed policies.   We asked that the policies address required setbacks, permissible noise and vibration levels, power and water consumption, backup power generation (e.g., diesel vs. gas turbine), landscaping, security, construction, and other such factors.  How noise analysis is done before zoning approval should be carefully defined; bad assumptions can provide misleading noise analysis.   It is also crucial that the policy address how the City will handle violations after operations begin.  For example, the City Noise Ordinance currently exempts HVAC and backup generator operation and needs to be amended.

Comprehensive Plan

The City Council approved the new, revised Chesapeake 2045 Comprehensive Plan for the City on January 20.   Overall,  the document presented a strong vision for creating a high-quality future for the City that is proactive about developing necessary infrastructure, protects green and open space, works to connect people, and respects the unique character of different parts of the City.   We should thank the Planning staff for their diligent work in developing a plan that covers so many critical areas.  

At the City Council meeting, we raised concerns that the Staff did not give itself enough time to consider inputs to the final draft last year.  The draft document was out for review for two months late last summer, but the staff only gave itself 4 or 5 working days to incorporate any feedback before delivering the final draft to the Planning Commission.  Several of our comments were not acted upon.    When the City Council was voting on the Plan, Council Member Amanda Newins made a statement that the City should do more about conservation landscaping and environmental education; these were two key policy recommendations we had been making all along.   But ultimately, the document was adopted as presented.    



Renewable Energy

Renewable energy has been in the news this month.  In late December, the Trump administration issued a 90-day stop-work order to five major East Coast offshore wind projects, citing national security risks regarding radar interference.  This included the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.   Like the other developers, Dominion Power filed suit to resume work, citing a cost of $5 million per day as the specialized installation vessels were idled by the stop-work order.  By mid-January, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing work to resume.   The first of the 176 turbine towers and blades was installed a few days later. The first power is expected to flow from the farm in the coming weeks.  

Meanwhile, in Richmond, Governor Spanberger has started work to have Virginia rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).  While Virginia was operating in the RGGI framework from 2020 to 2023, carbon emissions declined by 22% according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a reduction that was mostly reversed between 2023 and today after we exited the program.  Leaving RGGI was ruled illegal by a judge in 2024, although the ruling was appealed.  In parallel,  HB397 is now making its way through the General Assembly to remove any future ambiguity on whether Virginia shall participate in the program. 

Locally, Eastport Energy has been holding information meetings about its plans to build a Battery Energy Storage System facility, named the  Mill Stone Energy Center, in Chesapeake.  This facility would be able to store 600 megawatt-hours of energy from the offshore wind project.  At peak output, this project will be able to provide the electricity necessary to power all the homes in Chesapeake, and then some, for a 4-hour period.  The project will sit on approximately 112 acres,  most of which will remain forested, along the existing 230 kV power transmission line, approximately two miles south of the Fentress Substation on the western side of Centerville Turnpike South.




Hampton Roads Microtransit


Hampton Roads Transit and the City of Chesapeake have initiated a pilot program to provide microtransit rides.  Residents can get $2 on-demand rides from HRT across central Chesapeake (area in the map below).  The pilot program will be operational through October, at which point both Chesapeake can evaluate usage and participation.  Learn more at https://gohrt.com/ondemand/


Planning Commission


Agenda items for the Planning Commission on February 11 include:

  • PLN-REZ-2025-009 in Great Bridge to build Low Density Residential on 25.3 forested parcel. This parcel contains forested wetlands but is not in the CBPA.  Aerial photos indicate the parcel was clear-cut in 2009 and has regrown since.  Sets aside 3 acres for park site.  Sets aside 4.2 acres for conservation. Potential Canopy loss - 16 to 18 acres.
  • PLN-COMP-2026-001 - Deep Creek Area Plan

Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda


City Council


In January, the City Council approved


  • PLN-REZ-2025-008 in Great Bridge to build Low Density Residential at the south side of Hanbury Road West between Kingsbury Drive and Madison Lynn Way.

and denied
  • PLN-REZ-2025-014 in Western Branch at 5028 Portsmouth Blvd. to build Gas Station.  Includes landscaping. 

The Parks, Recreation and Tourism Master Plan is expected is expected to be on the City Council agenda in February.


Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, February 25, 2026

The next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, tentatively at the Black Pelican at the Greenbrier Mall.  Our speaker will be Dylan Mason, Public Policy Manager for LRNow.  He will talk about his work on Offshore Wind, including workforce development, and Single-use Plastic reduction, abatement, and alternatives.

Action Alerts

Volunteer Opportunities

In the News

Stay on top of the latest news and join the conversation in our Facebook group at Greening Chesapeake

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