Dear Coalition Supporters and Friends,
What do all these ‘D’s have in common? They all connect to your air quality. Yes, that’s correct.
How are they connected, you may be asking.
Remember back in 2023 when this community showed up in force at DEQ to speak out against Diesel Generators as backup emergency power in Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax County?:
“Residents and environmental groups during a hearing on Tuesday aired a long list of concerns over a proposal that would allow nearly 300 Northern Virginia data centers to regularly run emergency power generators this spring and summer.”
“Many of these industrial generators burn diesel or natural gas, releasing pollutants that pose risks to human and environmental health.”
“The data centers are also somewhat concentrated in certain areas — Loudoun County’s “Data Center Alley” being one of them — which has residents concerned about their cumulative air quality impact should hundreds of pollution-emitting generators run at the same time.”
Fast forward to 2025: DEQ is now considering allowing data centers to run their diesel generators for their power during planned outage events (not emergencies).
The Piedmont Environmental Council (pecva.org) has done a great job explaining the threat the data center industry’s energy need is placing on our clean air.
Enter your comments to DEQ before the Dec. 3 deadline – FULL DETAILS BELOW.
Please read the following community outreach from PEC:
“The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is currently accepting comments on a proposed change that would allow data centers to run backup diesel generators during planned outage events. Until now, these generators could only be used in the case of “sudden and reasonably unforeseeable events” or maintenance. In other words, these diesel generators–one of the most polluting forms of energy generation–were only ever meant to serve as backup power in emergency situations.”
“Why is this being proposed? Utilities want the flexibility for the data centers to be able to run their existing backup diesel generators during planned outage events. This is driven by a desire to expedite timelines and avoid paying for more expensive options better equipped to protect public health.”
“Planned outages, such as while transmission lines are built or worked on, are considered foreseeable, meaning data center operators have sufficient time — and are expected to — seek alternative options. Options typically used include: a) renting mobile Tier IV gas generators with higher pollution controls, or b) retrofitting Tier II generators with SCRs (selective catalytic reduction systems) to protect the public from pollution.”
“But DEQ’s proposal would allow data centers to potentially turn on hundreds to thousands of diesel generators, putting public health at greater risk. We believe this change should not be allowed or, at the very least, should be strictly limited and regulated.”
TAKE ACTION:
YOUR VOICE MATTERS! Comments are needed ASAP – by December 3rd.
As many people as possible need to get their comments on the DEQ official record BEFORE the Dec. 3 deadline.
Go here to enter comments (see some suggestions below): Virginia Regulatory Town Hall List Comments
You don’t need to be an expert. Just share your concerns.
From DEQ’s website:
DEQ’s Mission is to protect and enhance the environment of Virginia in order to promote the health and well-being of the Commonwealth’s citizens, residents, and visitors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
DEQ’s Vision is that all Virginians enjoy cleaner water, better air quality and the productive reuse of land that was once contaminated.
Here are some suggestions to incorporate into your comments.
But, of course, you may have many additional concerns:
*How does the proposed guidance comply with DEQ’s stated Mission and Vision?
*How many data centers in Prince William County will be operating during a planned outage event?
*When data centers turn on their diesel generators what kind of warning will be given to the community?
*What is the criteria for the warning? IE: What is the radius from each data center of the warning?
*What air quality monitoring system(s) will be put in place at every data center activating their diesel generators, and how will the resulting data be shared with the public?
*Is there a time limit that the generators will be allowed to operate?
*Will complaints to DEQ be made public if the guidance is adopted and data center generators are permitted to run during planned outages?
*Why is DEQ interceding to ensure that commercial data center operators burn dirty polluting fuel to protect their profits?
*What is the threshold of pollutants from the data center diesel generators before DEQ will intercede to protect the health and welfare of the public?
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