In this edition ● Data Center Ordinance and Policy ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Millstone Battery Energy Storage System ● State Budget ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News
Data Center Ordinance and Policy
While the draft documents included some good standards and requirements, they also raised multiple concerns, including opening up the Fentress overlay to data center development, permitted noise levels, setback distances from residential properties, plans for decommissioning defunct data centers, and efficiency standards.
Actions you can take:
- Attend the public hearing and address the Planning Commission in person on Wednesday, July 8, 7 pm at City Hall to share your concerns. Persons wishing to speak will need to fill out a speaker card, located at the entrance of the Council Chambers, and submit it to the Recording Secretary of the Commission prior to the 7 p.m. opening of the meeting. Let us know you are planning to speak.
- Submit written comments no later than July 8, 2026, by 12:00 p.m. These can be submitted via the Electronic Comment Form found on https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3783/Data-Center-Ordinance-and-Policy
- Sign on to our letter to the Planning Commission
Chesapeake Sustainability Network
Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network for a call on Thursday, July 9, 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 Comments, Urban Forestry Updates, We Are All Plastic Screening, City Council Candidate Questionnaire, and organizational Bylaws.
Millstone Battery Energy Storage System
On June 10th, the Planning Commission recommended Denial for a conditional use permit application to construct and operate a Battery Energy Storage System on a 31-acre portion of a 179-acre property, consisting of 4 parcels, off Centerville Turnpike, north of Hickory Middle/High School. The proposed facility will provide 150 megawatt / 600 megawatt-hour of energy storage, enough to power nearly 112,500 homes for a 4-hour period. For comparison, Chesapeake has about 95,000 households.
Greenlight America is a proponent of the project and is holding an Action Night on Tuesday, July 14, 7 pm –8 pm at the Great Bridge Community Center. Learn more and RSVP at: https://www.mobilize.us/greenlightaction/event/959987/
Learn more about the project at
State Budget
In late June, the General Assembly approved a compromise state budget that addressed several environmental issues.
- Creates an energy consumption tax for data centers at $.011 per kilowatt-hour used. The total revenue raised is capped at $600 million per year. This new tax on data centers is approved for the next two years.
- Directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to study the groundwater impacts of non-closed loop data centers. DEQ will locate “cooling water scarcity areas” where the use of potable water for computer cooling systems could be detrimental to surrounding areas’ water quality and availability and create regulations for the scarcity areas by July 2027.
- Directs DEQ to put in place noise abatement regulations for data centers before the end of 2029. The department will determine the lowest possible noise level for data centers and make it the standard starting in 2030. After that date, facilities that violate the noise standard will face a fine of $32,500 per day.
- Directs that 45% of the funds earned through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative be used for rebates back to electricity rate payers. The balance of the fund would continue to be used for community flood preparedness projects and low-income energy efficiency projects, as per the original intent.
- Funds $43.5M for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) and $4M for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
and some funding reduction impacting tree efforts.
- Reduces funding for Virginia Trees for Clean Water by 87% to $500,000. Funds Department of Forestry Water Quality Grants at $500,000. Also the budget did not include funding to support the two Virginia Department of Forestry staff members who lead the Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Read more at
Virginia legislators advance $205 billion budget including new tax on data centers - Virginia Mercury
Historic Clean Water Funding Marks A Major Step Forward While Critical Gaps Remain - James River Association
Virginia legislators advance $205 billion budget including new tax on data centers - Virginia Mercury
Historic Clean Water Funding Marks A Major Step Forward While Critical Gaps Remain - James River Association
Virginia Budget Deal Shortchanges Clean Water, Conservation Priorities - Cheseapeake Ba Foundation
Planning Commission
Some agenda items of interest for the Planning Commission on June 10 include:
- PLN-REZ-2025-021 in Western Branch at the western terminus of Woodland Drive, builds Low Density Residential - 22 lots, minimum 8000 sq. ft. The current tree canopy covers about 10.5 acres; the potential tree canopy loss is 7 acres. Continued from the June 10th meeting.
- PLN-USE-2025-009 in South Norfolk at 2651 S. Military Highway, along the waterfront. Requests a conditional use permit to utilize the site for concrete crushing and recycling, and a request to allow a height exception for 170-foot-tall silos and tanks. Parcel is 46 acres, including 20 acres of tree canopy; potential tree canopy loss of 8 acres. Note, this site is about 320' from the Reunion townhouse community (located on the other side of the railroad tracks). Continued from the June 10th meeting.
- PLN-REZ-2025-020 in Great Bridge on the east side of Battlefield Boulevard South, between Hessian Loop and Henry Jefferson Way. build Low-density Residential on a 8.4 lot. Current Tree Canopy of about 1 acre. Potentially adds about 0.4 acres of tree canopy.
- PLN-TXT-2026-001 - Proposed Data Center Ordinance (see above for more details)
- PLN-TXT-2026-002 - Proposed Data Center Policy (see above for more details)
Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda
To submit comments to the Planning Commission online, visit https://cityofchesapeake.jotform.com/210536857544057
City Council
Some agenda items of interest at the City Council in July:
- PLN-REZ-2025-019 in Western Branch at 4733 Charlton Drive, builds Low-Density Residential on a 1.1-acre lot. The current tree canopy covers about 0.9 acres; the potential tree canopy loss is 0.7 acres. Planning Commission recommended Approval.
- PLN-USE-2026-002 in Great Bridge at 1912 Centerville Turnpike S. A conditional use permit to construct and operate a Battery Energy Storage System on an approximately 31-acre portion of a 179-acre property covering 4 parcels. Current tree canopy of about 167 acres; potential tree canopy loss of 25 acres. Planning Commission recommended Denial. (see above for more details)
In May, the City Council approved:
- PLN-REZ-2025-009 in Great Bridge to build Low Density Residential on a 25.3 forested lot. The site contains forested wetlands. This is not in CBPA. The plan sets aside 3 acres for a park site and 4.2 acres for conservation. Potential Canopy loss -16 to -18 acres. Planning Commission recommended Denial, partially due to loss of open space, trees, and wetlands from development. City Council Approved on June 16, 2026
- PLN-USE-2025-048 in Greenbrier at Old Sears at Greenbrier Mall. Costco is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to operate a gas and service center next to a new Costco. Minimal impact to the tree canopy; Costco may add more tree islands. City Council Approved on June 16, 2026
- PLN-TXT-2025-004 - External Building Lighting on Structures and Sign to permit illumination of landmark buildings at least 500' in height, specifically for the LS Greenlink manufacturing tower under construction along the Southern Branch. City Council Approved on June 16, 2026. The new ordinance does include turning off the lights from 10 pm to dawn to protect wildlife.
- An INITIATING RESOLUTION asking the Planning Commission to consider amendments to the City's Zoning Ordinance and Solar Energy Policy in response to changes mandated by the General Assembly. Specifically, HB711 and SB347 add requirements for a use permit for solar farms; specific setback and other design requirements; and updating decommissioning plans at least every five years; requiring a use permit for energy storage projects, and a requirement to report to the SCC with a record of such use permit decisions. HB891 and SB443 provide that battery energy storage projects are a permitted accessory use on any parcel of land that has an approved use permit for a solar facility. The City Council approved initiating this effort on June 23, 2026.
and the City Council Continued
- PLN-REZ-2025-015 in Great Bridge at 1401 Battlefield Blvd S., the Great Hope Baptist Church. Requests rezoning, but with no definitive site plan. Continued to an August 2026 meeting.
City Council meeting details are posted to the City Council agenda page.
Green Drinks
Our next Green Drinks Meeting will be on Wednesday, July 29 at 6 pm. Location TBA.
Action Alerts
- Chesapeake Data Center Ordinance and Policy - Speak out at the July 8 Planning Commission meeting. Learn more about the proposed changes.
- Federal Budget: Urge Congress to do the right thing and uphold environmental funding for the Chesapeake Bay restoration. The administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget slashes critical funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Park Service (NPS). Contact your congressional representatives now - https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/trumpbudget/
- Federal Budget: Oysters: Ask Congress to Keep the Chesapeake Bay’s Oyster Sanctuaries Protected. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee recently passed a Fiscal Year 2027 funding bill for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that includes two harmful provisions (Sec. 586 and 587). One would open up protected oyster sanctuaries to commercial fishing; the other would cut off restoration funds for oyster sanctuaries most in need of investment. Contact your congressional representatives now - https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/noaafunding/
- Healthy Landscapes: Are you taking steps to help improve the Chesapeake environment with the landscaping in your yard? If you are, we would love to recognize your efforts and share tips on what more you can do. Sign up for our new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/1254/Chesapeake-Healthy-Landscape-Program
Volunteer Opportunities
In the News
- Virtual power plants’ will launch soon in Virginia. Here’s what that means. - WHRO
- Virginia Beach City Council unanimously rejects future data centers - WTKR
- Data centers fuel Dominion-NextEra merger — and customer worries - Virginian-Pilot
- As data centers boom, Virginians breathe the exhaust of 10,000 diesel generators - The Washington Post
- Virginia closes loophole in invasive plant law - WHRO
- Federal government weighs seabed mineral mining off Virginia coast - WHRO