Environment group challenges Amazon, Duke Energy air permits for mega data center
An environmental group has filed petitions challenging air quality permits issued to Amazon and Duke Energy for a mega data center in Richmond County, North Carolina. The challenge focuses on the planned use of nearly 650 diesel generators, arguing that splitting the permits between the two companies illegally evades Clean Air Act requirements and underplays pollution levels. Local residents are concerned about increased air pollution and its impact on community health.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, has filed two petitions with the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. These petitions challenge air quality permits recently granted to Amazon and Duke Energy for a planned Amazon data center in Richmond County, North Carolina.
The core of the challenge revolves around the proposed use of nearly 650 diesel generators. Amazon secured a permit for 588 backup diesel generators, while Duke Energy received a separate permit for 57 diesel generators intended for temporary power during the data center's initial months of operation. The SELC argues that by splitting these permits, Amazon and Duke Energy are "illegally evading requirements of the Clean Air Act" and downplaying the total pollution output.
Local residents, including Shaun Ingram, co-founder of the Richmond County Coalition for Justice and Black Empowerment, express significant concerns about the potential increase in air pollution in a community already struggling with poor air quality and high rates of respiratory problems. They argue that if the permits were combined, stricter environmental regulations, including air quality data collection and detailed pollution limitation plans, would apply.
State officials, however, previously stated that the permits were reviewed separately because the generators would not operate simultaneously and are controlled by different companies for different purposes. The SELC's petition cites a contract between Duke and Amazon suggesting Amazon has some control over Duke's generators, a contract state officials reportedly had not reviewed when issuing the permits. The $10 billion Amazon hyperscale data center, the largest capital investment in state history, is expected to create 500 jobs and comes with significant tax incentives from Richmond County. This challenge follows a recent decision by state regulators to reject Duke Energy's plan to expand a nearby natural gas plant, citing unconfirmed demand estimates from data centers.