Letters to the Editor: Lawmakers need to take noise into consideration in data center regulations
Two letters to the editor in the Los Angeles Times advocate for stricter data center regulations in California. The first highlights noise pollution and calls for data centers to be located away from residential areas. The second criticizes potential subsidies for data centers' electricity consumption and discusses the cost implications of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant on California ratepayers.
The Los Angeles Times featured two letters to the editor addressing proposed data center regulations in California. Daniel Fink of Beverly Hills, who chairs the Quiet Coalition, emphasized the critical issue of noise pollution generated by data center cooling fans. He noted that this noise frequently exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's safe exposure levels and advocated for a requirement that data centers be situated at a sufficient distance from homes and sensitive environments to mitigate these adverse effects, alongside concerns about their significant electricity and water usage and the discharge of “forever chemicals.”
A second letter expressed approval of the state's efforts to prevent California ratepayers from subsidizing data centers' electricity costs. This writer further contended that ratepayers would benefit from ending subsidies to Pacific Gas & Electric's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Citing a UC Santa Barbara study, the letter suggested the plant could overcharge Californians by nearly $2 billion. The author argued that such subsidies unfairly compete with renewable energy sources, forcing solar facilities offline when there is an oversupply on the grid, and also pointed to the plant's annual production of highly radioactive nuclear waste without a permanent storage solution. The letter concluded by urging continued decisive leadership to hold PG&E accountable and ensure a safe, clean energy future for California residents.