DEQ must put protecting public health first as their primary mission above all else.

The emergency generator allowance should not be broadened to include planned outage events.

This will contribute to more unnecessary pollution and put us on a slippery slope that could lead to these generators being used for demand response during periods of grid stress, which is not their intended use.

If emergency diesel generators are allowed to be used for “demand response” — a program that pays customers (in this case, data centers) to reduce their electricity usage from the grid during peak times — this could lead to significantly more pollution during the hottest days of the summer, which are often also the poorest air quality days in our region.

If DEQ chooses to make this change, it should incorporate strict limitations and regulations including:

Not allowing Tier II generators to be run for planned outages near “sensitive receptors” (e.g., schools, hospitals, parks, trails and residential areas)

The public should be given notice about where and when these generators will be running and for how long.

Each site where emergency generators are running should be inspected daily to monitor fuel usage and should be equipped with air quality monitoring for the duration of their usage.