A regulatory loophole in Texas has allowed dozens of data centers to construct massive power sources with little to no public notice, a Floodlight investigation has found. The data centers, including OpenAI’s Stargate facility in Abilene, are using minor air permits to avoid environmental reviews and public comment periods.

Minor Permits, Major Impact

These minor permits, typically used for small polluters like dry cleaners and autobody shops, don’t require environmental studies or public input. However, they are being used by data centers to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases and harmful air pollutants. Stargate’s facility, for example, is allowed to emit over 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases and 1,000 tons of combined harmful air pollutants every year.

Omaira Garcia, a resident of Abilene, was not informed about the construction of the Stargate facility until it was already underway. She is now concerned about the impact of the facility on her family’s health and well-being. ‘We weren’t given any time to understand what this impact was going to be on us,’ she said. ‘We’re trapped here.’

Widespread Use of Minor Permits

At least 38 data centers in Texas have received minor permits to operate on-site power sources, according to a Floodlight analysis. This has resulted in the use of over 2,100 backup diesel generators across the state, which are permitted to emit nearly 2,500 tons of nitrogen oxides into Texas communities every year.

The use of minor permits by data centers has raised concerns among environmental groups and residents. ‘Those lower-level permits get granted very quickly and often without the public knowing,’ said Kathryn Guerra, a former employee of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. ‘That feels pretty intentional.’

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.