‘Worse than coal’: Data centers raise new local concerns during heat waves
The federal government granted PJM emergency authorization for data centers to use backup generators during recent heat waves, raising significant environmental and health concerns in Northeast Pennsylvania. Critics, including local residents and environmental groups, argue that these diesel generators produce more pollution than coal plants and pose serious health risks to communities, especially in areas like Archbald which faces numerous data center proposals. Experts are calling for stricter regulations, including health impact assessments, enforceable runtime limits, and mandates for cleaner engine technology for data centers.
The U.S. Department of Energy granted emergency authorization for data centers and other large electricity users within PJM's 13-state grid, including Pennsylvania, to switch to backup generators during recent heat waves to prevent residential outages. This decision has sparked renewed concerns from environmental groups and local residents, who liken the emissions from diesel backup generators to or worse than those from coal-fired power plants.
Tom Schuster, Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter Director, highlighted that while PJM requested and received the emergency order, the heat wave ultimately did not necessitate the use of backup generators. However, the authorization, which was also granted in May, has fueled concerns about the long-term environmental and health impacts as Northeast Pennsylvania faces a surge in data center proposals. Specifically, the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus in Archbald, planning 14 data centers and 588 diesel generators, would have its generators produce more electricity than Lackawanna County's largest natural gas power plant during an outage, according to the article.
Michael Cork, Ph.D., an environmental health scientist, presented findings at an Archbald hearing indicating that emissions from Wildcat Ridge's generators could cause $3.3 million to $124 million in annual health damages across Lackawanna County. He and Tamara Misewicz-Healey, co-founder of Stop Archbald Data Centers, emphasized that emissions from these generators, especially nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, are significant and particularly dangerous when released at ground level, posing risks to children and vulnerable populations. They also noted that current local noise regulations for data centers often exempt emergency generator use.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan, a vocal critic, called for a countywide cumulative health and environmental impact assessment before further approvals are granted for the numerous proposed data centers in the county. Experts are advocating for regulators to quantify health impacts, set enforceable generator runtime limits, and mandate the cleanest available engine technology for data centers to protect public health.