The Trump administration is proposing changes that could make it harder for communities to participate in the permitting process for new data centers and the power plants that support them, The New York Times reports.
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate a federal requirement that states publicize certain air pollution permit applications and solicit public comments before approval. The proposal would apply to facilities classified as “minor sources,” including data centers, landfills, laundromats, steel mills and other industrial facilities.
Although the EPA says the change would speed up permitting and support economic development without weakening emission standards or environmental protections, environmental groups argue that it could make it harder for residents to learn about or raise concerns about projects before construction begins.
The issue is particularly important because data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, and technology companies are increasingly building gas-fired power plants to supply them. These plants can release greenhouse gases as well as pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which can contribute to asthma, heart disease and other health problems.
Opposition to large data centers has grown across the country, with both Democrats and Republicans raising concerns about pollution, noise, energy costs and water use. Several governors, including Republicans in Utah and Texas and a Democrat in Pennsylvania, have called for greater transparency and community involvement.
Nearly 200 advocacy groups and more than a dozen states have opposed the EPA’s proposal, making the issue part of the broader national debate over the rapid expansion of data centers.
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