An Amazon data center in NC wants to use diesel power. Locals are pushing back.
Amazon and Duke Energy are partnering to build a new data center in Richmond County, North Carolina, which plans to use diesel and natural gas for power. Local residents are strongly opposing the project, citing concerns about increased air pollution in an already burdened community. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is currently reviewing the necessary air quality permit.
In Richmond County, North Carolina, Amazon and Duke Energy are collaborating on a nearly $10 billion data center project. The proposed facility intends to operate using a combination of diesel and natural gas energy, a plan that has sparked significant environmental concerns among local residents.
Community members from Richmond County and the nearby town of Hamlet gathered at a public hearing on Thursday, organized by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Residents voiced strong opposition, arguing that the diesel and natural gas generators would emit potentially dangerous air pollutants, exacerbating existing air quality issues in their community. One speaker explicitly urged the DEQ to "deny this permit," characterizing the project as an "industrial power project" rather than just a data center, highlighting concerns about emissions, noise, water demand, and risks to already overburdened communities.
The DEQ is expected to make a decision on the air quality permit for Amazon and Duke Energy in the coming months. If approved, the permit would allow the companies to proceed with building the diesel generators for the data center.