Ga. fines 2 companies over data center, power plant permit violations
Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division fined VoltaGrid LLC and Serverfarm a combined $42,500 for installing engines and generators at neighboring facilities in Newton County before required construction permits were issued. Both companies said the violations resulted from misunderstandings and were not intentional; VoltaGrid also halted covered construction until receiving a permit.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division fined VoltaGrid LLC $11,500 and Serverfarm $31,000 after determining that both companies began installing equipment before obtaining required construction permits. VoltaGrid had installed engines at a neighboring power plant, while Serverfarm had begun installing 37 diesel emergency generators at its data center campus in Newton County. Neither facility’s equipment had been connected to fuel or power when inspectors visited.
Both companies told regulators that the work began because of confusion over which construction activities were allowed before permitting. VoltaGrid stopped installing equipment related to emission sources after receiving the violation notice and must continue doing so until it obtains a valid permit. Serverfarm received its data center construction and operation permit on the day of the inspection and agreed to pay its civil penalty; neither company admitted liability under the consent orders.