EPA says power for data centers can sidestep pollution laws

Levitating

Title is taken from the reuters coverage[1], but I used the link to the original epa.gov press release. [1]: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/epa-says-power-data...

Zigurd

About that P in your acronym...

two_handfuls

Surely this is going to cement the reputation of datacenters as a blight.

andsoitis

EPA guidance source document https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2026-07/epa-issue...

londons_explore

There are big benefits to having power generation grid connected. It is more reliable (due to many possible generation sources). It is more eco-friendly (solar in daytime, wind when the wind blows). It is more cost efficient (no need to overbuild for peak usage, generators don't sit idle when computers are off for maintenance). Yet our electricity grid has such a mass of regulations attached that people are choosing to lose these benefits - and with it we lose the benefit of them connecting to our grid.

tastyfreeze

Hmm... rules for thee but not for me. Sounds like the beginning of the end for the EPA. Two tiered rules breed resentment. There are already plenty of people that don't like the EPA. Making exceptions just makes it easier to argue the EPA is useless or just a tool for oppressing the little guy.

0xy

First they say data centers should pay their own way on power infrastructure, then when they start springing up entirely off-grid and fully self-funded power infrastructure, suddenly there's a new problem. The problem was never power or water (water being a known Chinese spy op after Karen Hao was caught exaggerating water usage by 1,000x in her book).

zach_moore

then whats the fucking point of the EPA

bix6

How the fuck does anyone still support these world destroying assholes.

wilburx3

What a disgrace. Abysmal leadership in this country.

Varelion

I expect nothing and am still disappointed

Noaidi

Let this sink in. Nobody cares about you and your children. They don’t care about the planet. These people are sociopaths. A lot of you work for these people. And a lot of you should stop working for these people. And if you’re using AI, you should stop using AI and you should make your boycott vocal. This is not about Trump. This is not about Republicans or Democrats. This is about people who have the money who control all of those people. The AI play is nothing but pure greed. They don’t want to make your life better. They’re actively making your life. worse while they’re getting rich.

singpolyma3

Beyond stupid. Why there are any "power generation" mechanisms that could produce air pollutantion in this decade is already incomprehensible. Making rules to allow for them on purpose is even dumber.

ck2

right on cue for my meme of the three boxes this administration reaches into daily [chaos] [corruption] [cruelty] fine then, make mar-a-lardo and the ballroom into datacenters November and the "AI" collapse cannot come soon enough but if the Dems don't get the Senate nothing will change even in the slightest

pyrophane

> Clean Air Act (CAA) Acid Rain Program (ARP) does not apply to power generation facilities that are not connected to a public electricity grid, commonly referred to as “islanded” power generation facilities. This of course makes no sense whatever, as whether or not a power generator is connected to the grid has nothing to do with its environmental impact.

dukeofdoom

Its for the greater good. Net benefit would still be in data centers favour, as AI replaces useless office workers, it will lower carbon footprint of all those people commuting by car / needing to work in cities. More people living in nature in the country side, doing something productive in the new economy, growing their food. Just invest in banks, to ride out the transition.

gwbas1c

What's frustrating is that the title in this thread is very misleading. This is the way the laws have been: Separate laws for generators feeding into the grid. Why this is, I don't know. I suspect it's because the vast, vast, majority of non-connected generators were, (until now,) backup generators that only ran occasionally. I even have a "fancy" portable generator in my garage that probably emits way more pollution per kwh than a typical fossil fuel plant, but I probably only run it ~10 hours a year at most. What's more disappointing is that this loophole is being promoted instead of closed; but everyone here seems to think that laws were weakened.

josefritzishere

This is completely unforgivably wrong. Pollution is pollution regardless of the source. We need clean air and water to live.

swader999

I thought we were in a end of times global climate crisis? So confusing...

vrganj

The US as currently composed is a climate supervillain, there's no other way to describe it. We're in an existential crisis and instead of stepping up to a leadership role, they are actively sabotaging efforts to avert disaster. Shameful.