#landislife — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #landislife, aggregated by home.social.
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Mapped: #Virginia #datacenters ’ thousands of #BackupGenerators
#LoudounCounty houses nearly half of Virginia's #datacenter backup generators, per nearly 200 air permits, fueling resident noise complaints and calls for stricter oversight.
by Kaela Roeder September 16, 2026
"Thousands of backup generators power Northern Virginia’s massive data center industry, and a single county overwhelmingly bears the brunt.
"Loudoun County, considered the data center capital of the world, houses nearly half of the state’s more than 13,500 backup generators, according to 195 air permit applications analyzed by Technical.ly.
"Generators, often powered by highly polluting diesel, serve as emergency backup when enough power isn’t available from the grid due to mechanical outages or natural disasters. They ensure the servers stay online, avoiding disruption to things like financial transactions and video streaming services.
"Local residents across the country and in Northern Virginia have increasingly called for reining in rapid data center development, voicing frustration over generator noise in public hearings and online. Loudoun alone contains more than 250 standalone data center buildings and multi-facility campuses, according to industry tracker Data Center Map.
[...]
"An #EPA proposal circulating this summer would eliminate federal requirements forcing state agencies to notify the public and invite public comments before issuing the minor new source review permits most filed by data centers in Virginia.
While state regulators could still choose to hold public hearings, seeking community input would no longer be required by federal law."
Read more:
https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/mapped-virginia-data-centers-thousands-of-backup-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters
#EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage
#GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel #DieselGenerators -
Mapped: #Virginia #datacenters ’ thousands of #BackupGenerators
#LoudounCounty houses nearly half of Virginia's #datacenter backup generators, per nearly 200 air permits, fueling resident noise complaints and calls for stricter oversight.
by Kaela Roeder September 16, 2026
"Thousands of backup generators power Northern Virginia’s massive data center industry, and a single county overwhelmingly bears the brunt.
"Loudoun County, considered the data center capital of the world, houses nearly half of the state’s more than 13,500 backup generators, according to 195 air permit applications analyzed by Technical.ly.
"Generators, often powered by highly polluting diesel, serve as emergency backup when enough power isn’t available from the grid due to mechanical outages or natural disasters. They ensure the servers stay online, avoiding disruption to things like financial transactions and video streaming services.
"Local residents across the country and in Northern Virginia have increasingly called for reining in rapid data center development, voicing frustration over generator noise in public hearings and online. Loudoun alone contains more than 250 standalone data center buildings and multi-facility campuses, according to industry tracker Data Center Map.
[...]
"An #EPA proposal circulating this summer would eliminate federal requirements forcing state agencies to notify the public and invite public comments before issuing the minor new source review permits most filed by data centers in Virginia.
While state regulators could still choose to hold public hearings, seeking community input would no longer be required by federal law."
Read more:
https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/mapped-virginia-data-centers-thousands-of-backup-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters
#EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage
#GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel #DieselGenerators -
Mapped: #Virginia #datacenters ’ thousands of #BackupGenerators
#LoudounCounty houses nearly half of Virginia's #datacenter backup generators, per nearly 200 air permits, fueling resident noise complaints and calls for stricter oversight.
by Kaela Roeder September 16, 2026
"Thousands of backup generators power Northern Virginia’s massive data center industry, and a single county overwhelmingly bears the brunt.
"Loudoun County, considered the data center capital of the world, houses nearly half of the state’s more than 13,500 backup generators, according to 195 air permit applications analyzed by Technical.ly.
"Generators, often powered by highly polluting diesel, serve as emergency backup when enough power isn’t available from the grid due to mechanical outages or natural disasters. They ensure the servers stay online, avoiding disruption to things like financial transactions and video streaming services.
"Local residents across the country and in Northern Virginia have increasingly called for reining in rapid data center development, voicing frustration over generator noise in public hearings and online. Loudoun alone contains more than 250 standalone data center buildings and multi-facility campuses, according to industry tracker Data Center Map.
[...]
"An #EPA proposal circulating this summer would eliminate federal requirements forcing state agencies to notify the public and invite public comments before issuing the minor new source review permits most filed by data centers in Virginia.
While state regulators could still choose to hold public hearings, seeking community input would no longer be required by federal law."
Read more:
https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/mapped-virginia-data-centers-thousands-of-backup-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters
#EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage
#GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel #DieselGenerators -
#Colorado ’s biggest #datacenter wants to add another 98 #diesel backup generators
By Sam Brasch
Jul. 8, 2026"On the eastern edge of #AuroraCO, #QTS , a leading data center developer, is rapidly transforming a 65-acre property south of #DenverInternationalAirport.
"One of three massive data centers is already complete, a second appears nearly finished and heavy machinery is now prepping a footprint for the third. On a recent afternoon, the low rumble of construction nearly drowned out chirps from #PrairieDogs burrowed into the surrounding #grasslands.
"Once completed, the campus will require at least #160MW, about four times the peak capacity of the international airport nearby. QTS also promises around-the-clock service for future customers. To keep the facility humming through blackouts, it plans to add 98 diesel backup generators to its fleet of 40 hulking engines already installed at the Aurora campus, according to a permit application submitted to state regulators in July 2025.
"It’s a backup system fit for Colorado’s largest data center, the state’s only #hyperscale facility larger than #100MW. Each engine is a small power plant the size of a semitruck, but roughly seven times more powerful. Once installed, the generators will release sporadic bursts of intense #sound and #DieselExhaust, containing #pollutants like #ParticulateMatter and #NitrogenOxides, a key ingredient behind Colorado’s #SummertimeOzone struggles.
"Data center critics worry that similar projects could be close behind. Alana Miller, the Colorado policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council [ #NRDC ], said the prospect is why her organization helped lead a failed push to regulate data centers in the last legislative session. If passed, the bill would have required data centers to supply their own #RenewableEnergy, tightened pollution standards for backup systems and required additional input for projects in historically polluted neighborhoods.
" 'The QTS Aurora expansion is a perfect example of why Colorado needs strong statewide data center guardrails,' Miller said. 'Aurora is already in severe ozone nonattainment, and left unchecked, new diesel generators could make the problem worse.'
" #DieselGenerators are a growing concern in data center hotspots like northern #Virginia.
"A recent analysis by the Washington Post examined air permits for more than 132 data centers packed into the region. It found generators at the facilities represent a significant health risk — even if they’re rarely used. With more than 10,000 generators attached to Virginia data centers, even operating them less than an average of an hour per week would carry roughly the same public health impact as five large gas-fired power plants, according to the report.
"Another study by the University of California Riverside and Caltech estimates data center #AirPollution could result in as many as 1,300 premature deaths every year by 2030. That research, however, is still undergoing peer review."
Read more:
https://www.cpr.org/2026/07/08/qts-aurora-data-center-diesel-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters #EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage #AirPollution #GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel
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#Colorado ’s biggest #datacenter wants to add another 98 #diesel backup generators
By Sam Brasch
Jul. 8, 2026"On the eastern edge of #AuroraCO, #QTS , a leading data center developer, is rapidly transforming a 65-acre property south of #DenverInternationalAirport.
"One of three massive data centers is already complete, a second appears nearly finished and heavy machinery is now prepping a footprint for the third. On a recent afternoon, the low rumble of construction nearly drowned out chirps from #PrairieDogs burrowed into the surrounding #grasslands.
"Once completed, the campus will require at least #160MW, about four times the peak capacity of the international airport nearby. QTS also promises around-the-clock service for future customers. To keep the facility humming through blackouts, it plans to add 98 diesel backup generators to its fleet of 40 hulking engines already installed at the Aurora campus, according to a permit application submitted to state regulators in July 2025.
"It’s a backup system fit for Colorado’s largest data center, the state’s only #hyperscale facility larger than #100MW. Each engine is a small power plant the size of a semitruck, but roughly seven times more powerful. Once installed, the generators will release sporadic bursts of intense #sound and #DieselExhaust, containing #pollutants like #ParticulateMatter and #NitrogenOxides, a key ingredient behind Colorado’s #SummertimeOzone struggles.
"Data center critics worry that similar projects could be close behind. Alana Miller, the Colorado policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council [ #NRDC ], said the prospect is why her organization helped lead a failed push to regulate data centers in the last legislative session. If passed, the bill would have required data centers to supply their own #RenewableEnergy, tightened pollution standards for backup systems and required additional input for projects in historically polluted neighborhoods.
" 'The QTS Aurora expansion is a perfect example of why Colorado needs strong statewide data center guardrails,' Miller said. 'Aurora is already in severe ozone nonattainment, and left unchecked, new diesel generators could make the problem worse.'
" #DieselGenerators are a growing concern in data center hotspots like northern #Virginia.
"A recent analysis by the Washington Post examined air permits for more than 132 data centers packed into the region. It found generators at the facilities represent a significant health risk — even if they’re rarely used. With more than 10,000 generators attached to Virginia data centers, even operating them less than an average of an hour per week would carry roughly the same public health impact as five large gas-fired power plants, according to the report.
"Another study by the University of California Riverside and Caltech estimates data center #AirPollution could result in as many as 1,300 premature deaths every year by 2030. That research, however, is still undergoing peer review."
Read more:
https://www.cpr.org/2026/07/08/qts-aurora-data-center-diesel-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters #EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage #AirPollution #GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel
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#Colorado ’s biggest #datacenter wants to add another 98 #diesel backup generators
By Sam Brasch
Jul. 8, 2026"On the eastern edge of #AuroraCO, #QTS , a leading data center developer, is rapidly transforming a 65-acre property south of #DenverInternationalAirport.
"One of three massive data centers is already complete, a second appears nearly finished and heavy machinery is now prepping a footprint for the third. On a recent afternoon, the low rumble of construction nearly drowned out chirps from #PrairieDogs burrowed into the surrounding #grasslands.
"Once completed, the campus will require at least #160MW, about four times the peak capacity of the international airport nearby. QTS also promises around-the-clock service for future customers. To keep the facility humming through blackouts, it plans to add 98 diesel backup generators to its fleet of 40 hulking engines already installed at the Aurora campus, according to a permit application submitted to state regulators in July 2025.
"It’s a backup system fit for Colorado’s largest data center, the state’s only #hyperscale facility larger than #100MW. Each engine is a small power plant the size of a semitruck, but roughly seven times more powerful. Once installed, the generators will release sporadic bursts of intense #sound and #DieselExhaust, containing #pollutants like #ParticulateMatter and #NitrogenOxides, a key ingredient behind Colorado’s #SummertimeOzone struggles.
"Data center critics worry that similar projects could be close behind. Alana Miller, the Colorado policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council [ #NRDC ], said the prospect is why her organization helped lead a failed push to regulate data centers in the last legislative session. If passed, the bill would have required data centers to supply their own #RenewableEnergy, tightened pollution standards for backup systems and required additional input for projects in historically polluted neighborhoods.
" 'The QTS Aurora expansion is a perfect example of why Colorado needs strong statewide data center guardrails,' Miller said. 'Aurora is already in severe ozone nonattainment, and left unchecked, new diesel generators could make the problem worse.'
" #DieselGenerators are a growing concern in data center hotspots like northern #Virginia.
"A recent analysis by the Washington Post examined air permits for more than 132 data centers packed into the region. It found generators at the facilities represent a significant health risk — even if they’re rarely used. With more than 10,000 generators attached to Virginia data centers, even operating them less than an average of an hour per week would carry roughly the same public health impact as five large gas-fired power plants, according to the report.
"Another study by the University of California Riverside and Caltech estimates data center #AirPollution could result in as many as 1,300 premature deaths every year by 2030. That research, however, is still undergoing peer review."
Read more:
https://www.cpr.org/2026/07/08/qts-aurora-data-center-diesel-generators/#NoDatacenters #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AIDatacenters #HyperscaleDatacenters #EnergyUsage #EnvironmentalDamage #AirPollution #GasFiredGenerators #DieselFuel
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Even small #Maine towns are weighing #DataCenterBans
by Daniel O'Connor August 17, 2026
"Several small towns across Maine are weighing temporary bans on #DataCenter development as a nationwide backlash against #ArtificialIntelligence and #BigTech continues to grow.
"Larger communities like #BangorME quickly passed moratoriums this spring. Fears of data centers are reaching many smaller towns, with several towns in #OxfordCounty that were unlikely to ever see such projects weighing pauses on hypothetical ones.
"After Gov. #JanetMills vetoed what would have been a first-in-the-nation temporary statewide ban, municipalities are taking steps to regulate development of the centers, which have been springing up nationally and have drawn criticism for their power and water use.
"The Democratic governor’s controversial veto, which came just before she ended a U.S. Senate primary, was largely to protect a #JayME project. But the idea fell through weeks later, with some boosters of the project blaming political resistance. #RuralMaine is now leading that.
"#Datacenters are large warehouses that hold computers necessary for #AI and other software to function. There are relatively few in Maine, and those proposed here so far have been small. But massive data centers in other parts of the country have drawn significant ire for their high water and power usage, which can strain local grids."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/77nyE#MainePol #USPol #DatacenterBans #Datacentres #AIDatacenters #WaterConsumption #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution #LandIsLife #EnergyWaste #EnergyConsumption #BigTech #BigData
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Even small #Maine towns are weighing #DataCenterBans
by Daniel O'Connor August 17, 2026
"Several small towns across Maine are weighing temporary bans on #DataCenter development as a nationwide backlash against #ArtificialIntelligence and #BigTech continues to grow.
"Larger communities like #BangorME quickly passed moratoriums this spring. Fears of data centers are reaching many smaller towns, with several towns in #OxfordCounty that were unlikely to ever see such projects weighing pauses on hypothetical ones.
"After Gov. #JanetMills vetoed what would have been a first-in-the-nation temporary statewide ban, municipalities are taking steps to regulate development of the centers, which have been springing up nationally and have drawn criticism for their power and water use.
"The Democratic governor’s controversial veto, which came just before she ended a U.S. Senate primary, was largely to protect a #JayME project. But the idea fell through weeks later, with some boosters of the project blaming political resistance. #RuralMaine is now leading that.
"#Datacenters are large warehouses that hold computers necessary for #AI and other software to function. There are relatively few in Maine, and those proposed here so far have been small. But massive data centers in other parts of the country have drawn significant ire for their high water and power usage, which can strain local grids."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/77nyE#MainePol #USPol #DatacenterBans #Datacentres #AIDatacenters #WaterConsumption #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution #LandIsLife #EnergyWaste #EnergyConsumption #BigTech #BigData
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Even small #Maine towns are weighing #DataCenterBans
by Daniel O'Connor August 17, 2026
"Several small towns across Maine are weighing temporary bans on #DataCenter development as a nationwide backlash against #ArtificialIntelligence and #BigTech continues to grow.
"Larger communities like #BangorME quickly passed moratoriums this spring. Fears of data centers are reaching many smaller towns, with several towns in #OxfordCounty that were unlikely to ever see such projects weighing pauses on hypothetical ones.
"After Gov. #JanetMills vetoed what would have been a first-in-the-nation temporary statewide ban, municipalities are taking steps to regulate development of the centers, which have been springing up nationally and have drawn criticism for their power and water use.
"The Democratic governor’s controversial veto, which came just before she ended a U.S. Senate primary, was largely to protect a #JayME project. But the idea fell through weeks later, with some boosters of the project blaming political resistance. #RuralMaine is now leading that.
"#Datacenters are large warehouses that hold computers necessary for #AI and other software to function. There are relatively few in Maine, and those proposed here so far have been small. But massive data centers in other parts of the country have drawn significant ire for their high water and power usage, which can strain local grids."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/77nyE#MainePol #USPol #DatacenterBans #Datacentres #AIDatacenters #WaterConsumption #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution #LandIsLife #EnergyWaste #EnergyConsumption #BigTech #BigData