8-year-old to officials considering 7th power plant for New Albany data centers: ‘Please think about our health, our family and our future’
Residents, health professionals and environmental opponents urged the Ohio Power Siting Board to reject PowerConneX New Albany 3, a proposed 450-megawatt gas-fired power plant serving a data center. The project would support about 1.3 million square feet of data center space, remove 65 acres of trees and generate substantial air pollution if approved.
Dozens of residents, including an 8-year-old child, two doctors and a nurse, testified against the proposed PowerConneX New Albany 3 Energy Center during an Ohio Power Siting Board hearing. Opponents cited risks from air pollution, tree removal, wetland impacts and the use of natural-gas equipment they said is less efficient and more polluting than newer technology. Five speakers representing trade unions supported the project because of its potential to create about 2,000 construction jobs.
The 450-megawatt plant would provide primary power for a proposed 1.3-million-square-foot data center in New Albany International Business Park and include natural-gas generators, diesel emergency generators, a substation and related infrastructure. The project requires authorization to affect 5.86 acres of isolated wetlands and is under review by the Ohio Power Siting Board and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Additional testimony was scheduled for Nov. 4, with the board expected to decide whether to approve the facility after completing its review.