Google wants 200+ more generators at Fort Wayne data center
Google is seeking to add 228 more backup generators to its data center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, bringing the total to over 400 if approved. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is reviewing the air permit modification, while the Citizens Action Coalition has expressed alarm over the "massive expansion" of diesel generators.
Google has filed an air permit modification application with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to add 228 backup generators to its data center in southeast Fort Wayne. This new request comes after IDEM approved an increase in generators from 34 to 179 in April. If approved, the current request would bring the total number of generators at the facility to 407.
Hatchworks, LLC, the builder of the data center, submitted the application on behalf of Google. Google states that these generators will operate on ultra-low sulfur diesel or a renewable alternative. The Citizens Action Coalition has publicly voiced alarm on Facebook, characterizing the proposed addition as a "massive expansion" that would nearly quintuple the data center's generator capacity and raise environmental concerns.