New Study Highlights Public Health Impacts of Gas Turbine-Powered Data Centers

https://www.pecva.org/work/energy-work/data-centers/new-study-highlights-public-health-impacts-of-gas-turbine-powered-data-centers/

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To quantify the health risks, PEC ((Piedmont Environmental Council)) commissioned an independent study by EmPower Analytics Group. The study focused on the Vantage VA2 facility in Sterling, which is the first in Virginia to use this 24/7 gas power, to model potential public health impacts when these turbines operate in populated areas.

The Vantage VA2 data center in Loudoun County, which uses eight natural-gas simple-cycle turbines for full-time power and has a permit for 51 diesel generators for emergency backup power, is located right next to a residential community. The constant noise it produces had already raised significant concerns from many neighbors, but we wanted to understand the public health implications of emissions from this type of facility.

Study Findings
The findings of the study are a wake-up call for the entire region. Emissions from these on-site natural gas power plants could translate to millions of dollars in annual public-health costs for Virginians.
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Impacts from air pollution are not limited to nearby residents: The study shows that people living miles away can be affected by a data center’s onsite natural gas turbine power. In the case of Vantage VA2, its emissions reach more than 2.5 million people, including those living in neighboring counties and parts of the broader Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. In addition, areas estimated to have some of the highest impacts from the Vantage facility overlap with marginalized communities, which are more vulnerable to air-pollution impacts.
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