Environmental groups sue over power plant permits for San Antonio data centers
Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit against data center developers Vantage and VoltaGrid in San Antonio, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act. The groups claim the companies failed to obtain major source permits for gas-fired power plants powering their data centers, which they say will emit thousands of tons of pollutants. The lawsuit seeks to hold the developers accountable for not following proper permitting processes and public input requirements.
Three environmental groups—the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Public Citizen—have filed a federal lawsuit against data center developers Vantage and VoltaGrid in San Antonio, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that the companies violated the Clean Air Act by constructing and partially operating two gas-fired power plants to power their data center campuses without obtaining proper major source permits.
The environmental organizations contend that these power plants have the potential to emit thousands of tons of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and carbon monoxide, into an area of San Antonio that already fails federal smog standards. Mary Greene, director of enforcement at the Environmental Integrity Project, emphasized the need for public input and stringent permits for industrial development of this scale. The groups claim Vantage and VoltaGrid exploited Texas's fast-track approval process for minor sources, bypassing requirements for advanced pollution control technology, monitoring, and public participation, which are mandated for major polluters by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Antonio, follows a July 22 notice of intent to sue that gave the companies 60 days to address the alleged violations. The power plants collectively have a capacity of 405 megawatts, with an additional 455 megawatts from 151 backup diesel generators, all for off-grid energy generation dedicated to the data centers. Nandan Joshi, an attorney with Public Citizen's litigation group, stated that Texans deserve transparency from developers regarding pollution and that the rush to build data centers should not compromise community health.