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Public commenters urge stronger environmental review, local benefits and limits on diesel backup for data centers
Summary
During public comment, air districts, community groups and industry stakeholders urged stricter environmental review (particularly for backup generators), local community benefits, full infrastructure cost recovery, and cleaner colocation generation options to protect health and affordability.
After agency panels, the hearing opened to public comment and drew a range of perspectives on environmental, community and resilience issues tied to data center growth.
Representatives of local air pollution control districts warned that many data centers rely on diesel backup generators—frequently qualifying for CEC small power plant exemptions (SPPE) that can bypass more robust environmental review. The witness said diesel backup used for maintenance, testing or grid support emits NOx, fine particulate matter and toxic diesel exhaust linked to respiratory and cardiovascular harms. To illustrate scale she said diesel backup for a 100‑megawatt data center can be roughly equivalent to dozens of 3,000‑horsepower locomotives operating at full throttle.
Clean generation vendors and industry speakers suggested colocation of cleaner natural‑gas‑fired or certified low‑carbon generation as a bridge to accelerate energization while grids are upgraded, and noted such assets can provide flexible interconnection support and rapid on‑line capacity. Enchanted Rock and BrightLine Defense emphasized cleaner, dispatchable solutions that may reduce reliance on dirty diesel and support grid reliability during peak stress.
Community groups urged that data centers meet state climate and environmental justice goals by undergoing comprehensive environmental review, paying the full cost of grid servicing, and demonstrating benefits such as local workforce development and community investments.
What agencies will review: witnesses urged reconsideration of SPPE eligibility for data centers, stronger air quality protections for backup generation, and clearer rules about whether co‑located generation must meet cleaner‑than‑diesel standards.
Ending: Public advocates and environmental groups said agencies should ensure the regulatory and permitting framework prevents disproportionate harm to frontline communities while still allowing orderly, transparent interconnection and procurement.
