Dove Creek Data Center Has Applied for a TCEQ Permit: Here's What to Know
A proposed data center campus in west Tom Green County has filed an air permit application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for its on-site natural gas power generation. The application details expected emissions including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, drawing public attention. State Rep. Drew Darby has since demanded a public hearing on the permit.
A proposed data center development by Westline TX Holdings LLC, linked to Beacon Data Centers, in west Tom Green County, Texas, has submitted an air permit application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The application details the expected emissions from the facility's on-site natural gas power generation, including 1,177.2 tons of carbon monoxide and 419.3 tons of nitrogen oxides annually under maximum permitted conditions. These figures have garnered significant local attention due to their environmental implications.
The project plans to use modular reciprocating natural-gas engines with exhaust stacks estimated to be 50-80 feet tall, much smaller than typical 200-foot industrial smokestacks. The engines will be equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and oxidation catalysts to control emissions.
The TCEQ is currently reviewing the application, which will be followed by air-dispersion modeling and a formal public comment period. Shortly after the article's publication, State Rep. Drew Darby publicly demanded a public hearing at the TCEQ regarding the Beacon data center permit, indicating growing political and community scrutiny of the project.