Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
 
Board
Air Pollution Control Board
 
Guidance Document Change: DEQ Guidance Memo APG-578 addresses the use of emergency generators in the case of “sudden and reasonably unforeseeable events” as the result of a planned electric outage.
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12/1/25  8:33 pm
Commenter: Joe Kittle

Please Protect Virginians
 

I strongly urge DEQ not to advance any rule change that would allow data centers to rely on emergency diesel generators during planned grid outages. This proposal moves Virginia in exactly the wrong direction at a moment when our communities are already grappling with higher electricity bills, worsening air quality, and a grid strained by unprecedented data-center growth. Diesel backup generation is among the dirtiest and most harmful options available - undercutting our climate commitments, exposing nearby neighborhoods to dangerous pollutants, and removing any incentive for data centers to invest in infrastructure that could improve grid reliability and resiliency. Virginians deserve a policy that prioritizes health, long-term sustainability, and responsible grid planning - not one that lets the most power-hungry facilities sidestep their obligations to the communities where they operate.

CommentID: 238225