Local water protection nonprofit: Data center bill doesn’t go far enough to protect the state’s waters
A bill addressing data center environmental impacts recently passed the North Carolina House of Representatives but a local water protection nonprofit, Sound Rivers, claims it doesn't go far enough. The organization highlights concerns over water usage, lack of robust ratepayer protections, and provisions that could weaken environmental safeguards. The bill is now returning to the Senate for further consideration.
The North Carolina House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at addressing the environmental impacts of data centers, though a local water protection nonprofit, Sound Rivers, contends the legislation is insufficient. Katey Zimmerman, Sound Rivers' Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper, expressed concerns that "the bad seems to be outweighing the good" in the bill. The organization primarily focuses on local issues but notes the significant impact data center construction and operation will have on eastern North Carolina's water resources.
Sound Rivers opposes the bill due to its incomplete steps to minimize data center impacts and the inclusion of sections seemingly designed for bipartisan support rather than environmental protection. Zimmerman specifically highlighted problematic provisions, such as fast-tracking environmental permits for fossil fuel projects, delaying the retirement of coal-fired power plants, and potentially eliminating Duke Energy's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The bill also requires the NC Utilities Commission to certify a new nuclear plant before Duke Energy can decommission any coal plants and lacks robust protections for ratepayers, particularly regarding industrial customers like data centers paying lower rates.
Further amendments in the House removed an overall ban on evaporative cooling processes, which are significant water consumers, instead directing the Department of Environmental Quality to establish rules for water usage. Zimmerman views this as a weakening of water resource protections. Sound Rivers' primary concern remains the substantial water withdrawal by hyperscale data centers. Additional issues include the bill's failure to address localized air pollution from diesel generators used for backup power and the absence of restrictions on PFAS discharges into water systems, with current reporting requirements deemed inadequate to identify contaminants. Despite these criticisms, Zimmerman acknowledged the importance of the bill's existence as a recognition by the state of the need to regulate the growing data center industry.