These data center developers asked Trump for an exemption from pollution rules
News Clipgrist.org·Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT·2/24/2026
Novva, a data center developer in Utah, ran into power supply issues with the local utility Rocky Mountain Power. To meet the power demands of a major customer, Novva sought to use diesel and gas-fired generators, which would violate emissions limits. The company appealed to the EPA under the Trump administration for an exemption from environmental regulations, citing national security interests related to AI development. Although the exemption was not granted, the article highlights the data center industry's efforts to bypass environmental regulations in order to rapidly expand capacity.
electricityenvironmental
Gov: Utah Division of Air Quality, EPA
Novva, a data center developer in Utah, ran into power supply issues when building its largest data center campus near Salt Lake City. Unable to secure enough power from the local utility, Novva decided to build its own natural gas plant, but that would take until 2027 to complete.
Facing pressure from a major tech customer to provide power sooner, Novva turned to diesel- and gas-fired generators, which are highly polluting. To operate these generators, Novva sought exemptions from state emissions limits. When those exemptions were denied, the company appealed directly to the Trump administration, arguing that exempting the data center from Clean Air Act standards was a matter of national security due to competition with China's AI development.