Democrats probe EPA excusing data center power plants from pollution rules
Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over guidance that exempts off-grid data center power plants from certain Clean Air Act Acid Rain Program requirements. They argue the guidance could allow large gas-fired facilities serving private data centers to avoid sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emission limits.
A group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Rep. Jennifer McClellan of Virginia, is pressing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for an explanation of agency guidance concerning data center power-generation facilities. The guidance excludes facilities that are disconnected from the public grid from the Acid Rain Program, regardless of their size or pollution levels.
The lawmakers said the policy could allow massive gas-fired plants built exclusively to power private data centers to avoid federal caps on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The dispute comes amid broader concerns about data center electricity demand, grid upgrade costs and environmental impacts, while the Trump administration promotes rapid artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure development. The article references the Pennsylvania Digital 1, or Pax-1, project in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.