Environmental groups sue over San Antonio data centers

Three environmental groups

as the Environmental Integrity Project, the Sierra Club, and Public Citizen

have initiated a federal lawsuit against data center developer Vantage and its

energy supplier VoltaGrid in San Antonio. The suit alleges that two data

center campuses on the city's West Side, near the Westover Hills neighborhood,

and their associated gas-fueled power plants, were developed without necessary

permits, pollution-control technology, and adequate public input, in violation

of the federal Clean Air Act.

VoltaGrid manages the co-located gas-fueled power plants, which have a

405-megawatt capacity, supplemented by 151 backup diesel generators providing

an additional 455 megawatts. The plaintiffs argue these facilities could release

thousands of tons of air pollutants, contributing to smog in an area already

failing federal smog standards. They contend that the companies bypassed "major

source" pollution control permits, which mandate stringent pollution controls,

monitoring, and public participation, by treating the power source as a

separate entity and exploiting Texas's fast-track approval for minor pollution

sources.

The environmental groups had issued a notice of intent to sue in July, also

notifying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality, but claim the companies failed to address the violations.

A public hearing concerning one of the data centers on Rogers Road, already

partly operational, met with strong community opposition due to constant noise

and concerns about diesel generator pollution. The lawsuit aims to halt all

construction and operation until the facilities comply with the rigorous

permitting requirements for major polluters, including incorporating public

input.