NC DEQ approves air permits for giant Amazon data center in Richmond County
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has approved two air quality permits for a large Amazon data center in Hamlet, Richmond County. This decision has sparked significant concern from environmental groups and local opponents who worry about increased air pollution from the project's numerous diesel generators. The data center represents a $10 billion investment for Amazon.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has granted two air quality permits for a new Amazon data center in Hamlet, Richmond County, a move that has drawn strong criticism from environmental advocates. The $10 billion project, expected to create 500 construction jobs, requires substantial electricity, utilizing 588 diesel generators for Amazon and an additional 57 for Duke Energy to provide temporary power before grid connection.
Opponents, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, expressed concerns about increased air pollution in an area already burdened by industrial plants and with low community health rankings. They questioned the DEQ's decision to split the permit applications for generators tied to the same project, arguing that regulators failed to adequately protect public health. Caroline Cress, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, stated that Amazon and Duke Energy "can and should do better than belching deadly soot pollution" and criticized regulators for "blindly accepting the companies' self-interested statements."
DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson acknowledged public concern but maintained that the Division of Air Quality's authority is limited and that the permits include additional recordkeeping, reporting, and fuel usage monitoring requirements. The department asserted that emissions would meet applicable standards, even under worst-case scenarios. Despite the opposition, state and county officials, including Governor Josh Stein, have publicly supported the data center, citing its economic benefits for Richmond County, where a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.