Lawmakers tackle data center concerns ahead of election
Residents in Sterling, Virginia, are working with Johns Hopkins University and the Loudoun Climate Project to monitor pollution from nearby data centers, including emissions from on-site gas turbines. Virginia officials and candidates for Congress are calling for stronger oversight, cleaner backup power and mandatory setbacks for data centers.
Residents in Sterling, Virginia, are concerned about emissions from a nearby data center that operates its own gas turbines rather than relying entirely on the power grid. Greg Perio and his neighbors plan to host an air monitor installed by Johns Hopkins University and the Loudoun Climate Project to measure particulate matter and gather evidence about the environmental and public-health effects of Northern Virginia's more than 250 data centers.
The debate has become a campaign issue ahead of the midterm elections. Virginia officials have announced plans to evaluate emissions from backup diesel generators and require cleaner power, while Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam and Republican challenger Dave Beckwith have both called for greater federal oversight. Candidates and residents also support mandatory setbacks and environmental assessments before additional data centers are built near communities.