Global Energy Outlook 2025: Headwinds and Tailwinds in the Energy Transition

This article highlights trends that are likely to occur through 2050.  The organization presenting the information is Resources for the Future (RFF), an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC.  The mission of RFF – a 501(c)(3) – is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement with 5 core values
  • Improving both environmental and economic outcomes.
  • Adhering to the highest scientific and professional standards.
  • Preserving nonpartisanship, integrity, and trust.
  • Building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.
  • Leading to better public- and private-sector decisions.

Data Centers are a Hot Topic for Virginia Legislators – SELC Urges Leasers to Fight Data Centers in Pittsylvania County

New policy decisions around data centers could serve as a model for the South.
Virginia has 300 data centers with another 12 planned in a single location.

 

SELC is urging leaders to fight the data centers proposed for the site in Pittsylvania County.

Proposed Transmission Line between Fauquier & Campbell Counties

Below are links to information about a 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to be built between Fauquier and Campbell counties. As of Friday, the route had not been published, but the third link below has a map where the line will most likely go. Assuming this is the route, it does not look like it will come through Nelson, but we should pay attention to this.

Dominion Energy Newsroom

Larger transmission towers coming to Northern Virginia | News | fauquier.com

Fauquier County 2025 Updates – The Piedmont Environmental Council

information compiled by Susan McSwain for Friends of Nelson

Household Hazardous Waste & Special Collections 2025


Nelson has published dates for 2025 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) & Special Collections. 

Collections will be at the Ivy Materials Utilization Center, and will be held 9am-3pm on:

  • Spring 2025
    • Friday, April 25, 2025
    • Saturday, April 26, 2025
  • Fall 2025
    • Friday, September 19, 2025
    • Saturday, September 20, 2025


You can view it from this link : https://www.nelsoncounty-va.gov/household-hazardous-waste-hhw-special-collections-2025-spring-fall-dates/

Nelson County residents will need a voucher to participate. Vouchers can be obtained at any of the staffed collection sites, County Administration office or contact Sue Baker, Recycling Coordinator, at sbaker@nelsoncounty.org.

Cuts in Federal Workforce would affect Rural Virginia


Federal workforce cuts could create unemployment levels in Northern Virginia not seen in living memory. That’s a potential problem for rural Virginia. – Cardinal News
The biggest geographical source of income tax in Virginia comes from Northern Virginia. In all, the D.C. suburbs account for about 40% of the state’s revenue, so anything that’s state-funded, from schools to roads to prisons ultimately owes a lot of its funding to the economic health of Northern Virginia. Rural school systems get most of their funding from the state, and the biggest source of state funding is the income tax.

For additional statistics, visit Northern Virginia’s population decline is a problem for the whole state – Cardinal News
The biggest single source of tax revenue in Virginia is the individual income tax; 67% of general fund revenue comes from personal income taxes. Fairfax County alone accounts for 22% of the state’s taxable income, according to the annual report from the state’s tax commissioner. Altogether, Northern Virginia accounts for 40% of the state’s taxable income. The bottom line: Northern Virginia is subsidizing rural school systems (and lots of other things).

Information compiled by Susan McSwain

‘Civic Health’ Rating for all U.S. Counties


Three organizations – Brown University, Internews (a California-based nonprofit that supports independent media), and Press Forward (a grant-making organization that supports local news media) – have joined together to devise a measurement tool called the Civic Information Index. Using 21 data points, the Index gives every county and independent city in the U.S. a “civic health” score.


The Index – Civic Information Index


The numerous data sets used to determine the scores include such items as the percentage of households with access to broadband, number of library visits, access to health care, voter turn-out, charitable giving, life expectancy, poverty rate, and the number of news outlets in each county.
You can zoom in on any county for the score.

Here are the scores for Nelson on a scale of 0 – 100.


Overall Index percentile: 68
News and Information percentile: 46
Civic Participation percentile: 58
Equity and Justice percentile: 90
Health and Opportunity percentile: 75

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Nellysford, VA 22958

© Friends of Nelson 2025