No air permit for Vantage data center

In Wisconsin, hyperscale data centers, including the proposed Vantage Data Center in Port Washington, have turned to diesel generators as a source of backup power. Since data centers store information that needs to be accessible at all times, they need to ensure the systems stay online, even when the power goes out.

However, using diesel generators can cause a lot of pollution. Diesel exhaust is a type 1 carcinogen linked to cancer, heart problems, and lung disease. Large industrial generators also emit harmful air pollutants that worsen smog, particularly on hot, sunny days. Batteries could provide backup power at data centers without these impacts.

While these generators are intended to serve as a backup in the event of a power outage, they also require regular operation for maintenance and testing purposes. In the event of a power outage, the generators could emit large amounts of harmful pollution at a time when the community might already be impacted by extreme weather or emergencies.

Ozaukee County, where this project is sited, is already in nonattainment for ozone, which means the levels of ozone in the air have already surpassed what’s deemed healthy for humans, and the pollution from these generators would only exacerbate the issue.

Because of the impact of these generators, Vantage must apply for an air permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Despite the significant impact of these diesel generators, the DNR is considering the project a “minor” source and doesn’t intend to further study any serious impacts of this proposal.

Join us in submitting a comment to the DNR telling them to go back to the drawing board and recognize the concerns with this project!

76

signatures of 0 goal

Continue

Title

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

City

State

Zip

Phone

Your Message

Subject

Comment on air pollution control construction permit 25-MIN-094 and operation permit 24618528A-F01

Add a Personal Message

Personal messages make a big impact on decision makers. Please add a note about why this issue matters to you!

1000 characters remaining

Message

I’m writing to express my opposition to air pollution control construction permit 25-MIN-094 and operation permit 24618528A-F01 and encourage the Department of Natural Resources to deny these permits and conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement process. The Vantage data center is proposed to cover over 600 acres and use as much energy as 600,000 households, creating significant, rippling impacts. This project will alter Wisconsin’s electric grid, climate goals, and energy rates, not to mention negatively impact the local community that would bear the brunt of this massive facility. I urge you to conduct further environmental review and deny this permit to protect the air that we all rely on. If permitted, the Vantage data center would negatively impact the air quality of communities near and far. The industrial-sized diesel generators that are proposed are large emitters of NOx – if all 45 generators were running at the same time for one hour, they would emit as much NOx as 5,249,040 vehicle miles traveled, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The DNR should model for short-term NOx impacts and other short-term NAAQS. Additionally, the air permit assumes that NOx emissions will be spread evenly over the year, though this is unlikely. Realistically, emissions are likely to be very low on many days but very high during emergencies. The impact on the community during those emergencies needs to be considered. NOx is also a precursor to ozone. Ozone is the primary ingredient in “smog” and has negative health impacts, particularly on children, older adults, people with asthma, and people who are active outdoors, especially outdoor workers. Ozaukee County, where the Vantage data center is sited, is already in nonattainment for ozone, which means that the area already exceeds the pollution limit for that contaminant, and that the levels have surpassed what is healthy for humans. The DNR also makes flawed assumptions about the "background concentration" of air pollution, incorrectly stating that the data center is in the Town of Port Washington when it is in the City. This mistake leads to modeling based on the assumption that this is a rural area of 1,600 people, whereas Port Washington is a City of 10,000+ that lies in a major metropolitan area that has significant issues with air pollution, especially ozone. If all the proposed generators were running at the same time, they would collectively have the same output as an 87MW facility and must be treated accordingly. The diesel generators should also not be used for peak shaving or demand response, which the permit currently allows. Again, I urge you to conduct further environmental review and deny this permit. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

By taking this action to protect the planet, you are affirming you want to receive regular Sierra Club communications and may vote on policy designated by the Sierra Club Board.