Questions to ask before a data center is built where you live
Residents of Sterling, Virginia, say a Vantage data center has created persistent noise from gas turbines and emissions from backup diesel generators. The report urges communities to ask detailed questions about noise, air quality, water, electricity and placement before approving future data center projects.
Residents in Sterling, Virginia, describe ongoing noise and air-quality concerns associated with a Vantage data center operating next to their neighborhood. They say a 24-hour whistle from gas turbines can be heard inside homes, while fumes from backup diesel generators blow toward nearby houses. Resident Lindsey said the impacts differed from what the community was told when the project was proposed in 2022.
The report encourages communities to examine local ordinances and demand specific details about temporary power systems, noise, emissions, water use and electricity requirements before approving data centers. Maryland Tech Council CEO Kelly Schulz, who supports data center development with safeguards, recommended residential buffers, noise rules and controls on water and electric usage. Vantage did not participate in the report but told residents at a town hall that it planned to change the design of its generators or turbines and make other improvements.