Data center pollution, youth opportunities and conservation across Oregon
Data centers in Eastern Oregon, including Amazon's facilities, are raising air quality concerns due to the potential pollution from backup diesel generators during power outages. Many existing data centers have not yet upgraded to generators with stronger pollution controls. An analysis by OPB highlighted the significant threat posed by these generators in the lower Umatilla Basin.
Eastern Oregon has become a major hub for data centers, leading to increasing concerns regarding their impact on air quality. An analysis by OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) specifically highlighted Amazon's data centers in the lower Umatilla Basin, indicating that their backup diesel generators could release substantial pollution during widespread power outages.
The report also noted that a majority of the existing data centers in the region have yet to replace their older generators with newer models that incorporate more advanced pollution control systems, exacerbating the potential environmental threat.