The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reversing a decision to allow Virginia data centers to use backup generators during high-use times. The Virginia Mercury Bulletin reported that the state is home to Data Center Alley, with the highest concentration of data centers (nearly 300), supporting 70 percent of the world’s internet traffic.
The DEQ issued the temporary variance in January after the state’s electric grid (PJM Interconnection) flagged an increased demand due to data center development. According to an announcement from the agency on April 12, “Given further discussion with stakeholders and public comment on the proposal, DEQ believes that these issues are now being addressed between the data centers, the utilities, and the regional transmission organization.”
The Bulletin reported that the proposal would have suspended short-term air emission limits through July 31, in areas where PJM issued warnings of acute strains on the transmission system, allowing data centers to run the generators temporarily. The impacted counties included Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax. However, the final proposal was scaled back to include only Loudoun after residents from the other counties expressed “health, environmental and noise concerns.”
Additionally, Josh Levi, president of the Data Center Coalition (DCC), sent a letter to DEQ in March, asking for the withdrawal of the variance altogether, citing “unresolved technical, federal regulatory and operational challenges. Due to these issues, no DCC member has indicated they would use the variance,” Levi wrote.
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